Hortense Sylvia Christensen

Sylvia was born on November 3, 1922, in Manhattan, New York City, New York, to Helen and Gonzola Simonet. Following her mother’s divorce from Gonzola, her early years were spent with her grandparents, Arthur and Pearl Kraft. They soon moved to Miami, Florida and Sylvia’s mother married James Teply, who was the director of the Miami bus company.

She graduated from high school in 1940 and attended the University of Miami. To help the war effort she worked for the Navy. Sylvia (aka “Babe”) met the love of her life, James (Chris) Christensen through her then-fiancée who was killed in the Pacific theater. James was a navigator in the U.S. Army Air Corps, temporarily teaching navigation at the University of Miami while stationed in Puerto Rico. On March 12, 1944, Babe and Chris were married in Miami.

When the war ended, they moved to Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa where Chris finished the final 2 years of college, majoring in Aeronautical Engineering. Upon graduation he entered the newly established U.S. Air Force. Their lives then were dictated by the needs of the Air Force and took them to California, Ohio, Washington, Kansas, Virginia, and Washington DC.

They had 3 sons Jim, Tom and John. In 1965 Chris passed away as a full Colonel and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. In her own words, Sylvia “revered” Chris and never remarried. Sylvia went back to work for the Navy as a Classified Librarian and during the next 10 years, after Chris’s death, she oversaw all 3 of her boys graduate from service academies: Jim (USNA ’67) Tom (USAFA ‘71) and John (USNA ’74).

Sylvia was preceded in death by her son Jim and is survived by her two sons Tom, John, and their families (8 grandchildren, and 15 great grandchildren).

Inurnment will be in Arlington National Cemetery next to her husband Chris.

Condolences may be sent to the Christensen family at www.drumfh-hickory.com.

Drum Funeral Home in Hickory is honored to be assisting the Christensen family.