Christian John Izquierdo

In loving memory of Christian John Izquierdo, who is sadly no longer with us. Christian passed on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey, leaving behind his father Teodoro Izquierdo, mother Betty Izquierdo, brother Richard Alexander Izquierdo, and girlfriend Alannah Rae Bartalone. Christian will forever be missed for the beautiful soul he was, bringing joy and happiness to those who knew him best.

Christian was born in General Hospital in Elizabeth, New Jersey on October 18, 1977, a day filled with meaning and relevance for important parts of his life. Christian’s mother was informed by her doctor that there was a chance she could lose her baby during pregnancy. As a faithful Catholic who first came to the United States from Lima, Peru in 1964 to study at the University of Miami, Betty prayed for a safe birth and a healthy baby. Not only was Christian born healthy and strong at 8 pounds but he was born on the celebrated feast day of “El Senor de los Milagros,” translated from Spanish as the “The Lord Christ of Miracles.” Christian would attend Catholic school from kindergarten at St. Vladimir’s Ukrainian Catholic School in Elizabeth to the twelfth grade at St. Mary of the Assumption High School two blocks away. The foundation of Christian’s faith that he would return to was laid in those early years when he would learn to love and trust in Jesus Christ and the Blessed Mother Mary.

If this was it about the day Christian was born, it would be quite a story. However, Christian was also born on the same day that Reggie Jackson hit three home runs in the World Series for the New York Yankees—a feat not accomplished since Babe Ruth in 1926—to defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4 games to 2 in the 1977 World Series. It seemed to foreshadow Christian’s life as he grew up a passionate Yankees fan during the 1980s, knowing impressive details about the team while even dressing up in the Yankees’ uniform to show his genuine team pride. His favorite players were Yankees’ pitcher Ron Guidry, whom he even resembled a little, and Yankees’ first baseman Don Mattingly. Christian played baseball from spring to fall during most his 1980s childhood with his brother and close childhood friends. He would play varsity baseball for the St. Mary’s Hilltoppers as a high school freshman in 1992.

Christian applied to exactly one college upon graduating from high school and was accepted into Rutgers College at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Christian majored in political science and minored in Spanish, producing a distinguished academic record that was reflected in his induction into Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Sigma Alpha (The National Political Science Honor Society), and the National Golden Key Honor Society. He lived on campus during all four years and earned his B.A. in political science from Rutgers University in 1999.

After Rutgers, Christian decided to once again apply to only one school for graduate school. He applied to the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, which is widely regarded as the most prestigious journalism program in the United States, and was accepted. Christian developed a style of writing that was distinctive for its objectivity and rigor when much of the profession was going in the opposite direction. While at Columbia, Christian contributed to a national story for the New Orleans Times-Picayune about flying on September 11 and reported an original story about the misunderstood ways in which American education was failing. Without a doubt, his favorite project while at Columbia was when he interviewed New York Yankees’ Hall of Fame shortstop and famed WPIX Broadcaster Phil Rizzuto at his Hillside, New Jersey home for three hours. Like many people, Rizzuto instantly felt comfortable with Christian in discussing his half-century association with the Yankees that spanned from his upbringing in Brooklyn to his golf outings in New Jersey with Republican presidents. Christian graduated with an M.S. from Columbia University in 2003.

Christian was an American patriot. He loved America and liberty. It was a major part of his life. Christian thought about, wrote about, and spoke about freedom whenever he had the chance. Christian’s father fled communist Cuba in 1962 seeking freedom in the United States and even enrolling in the U.S. Army during his first year here. Christian really admired his father and so his conversations with his dad influenced him greatly. Christian grew up during the prosperity, optimism, and expansion of American liberty during the Reagan presidency. It was important in developing his outlook. Christian was an expert on American politics and published articles for The American Enterprise Magazine on subjects ranging from Alexander Hamilton’s place on the ten-dollar bill to the 10-year anniversary of Whit Stillman’s film Barcelona. In 2011, his brother Richard wrote in the Acknowledgements section of his doctoral dissertation at Stanford University that Christian “understands American politics as well as anyone I have ever met” and thanked him for sharing “his brilliant insights and humor with me during my time at Stanford.” Even attending an Ivy League university in New York City did not change Christian’s profound love of country; it only strengthened it.

Christian had the courage of his convictions. While traveling in Europe or South America, Christian would gently explain the misconceptions that people had about America in ways that were not typical for Americans traveling abroad. Christian’s favorite city was Madrid, which always felt comfortable to him for its warmth, elegant beauty, and fun social vibe—he always looked forward to visiting Madrid and even lived there for half a year as he also lived in its neighbor further to the south, Seville, and more recently in Lima, Peru. Christian knew a lot about soccer and always looked forward to closely following the World Cup every four years as well as the Copa America.

Christian admired public personalities who were smart, original, and courageous. Among his favorite intellectual and cultural influences were Tom Wolfe, Michael Critchton, Whit Stillman, Milton Friedman, Tucker Carlson, Clint Eastwood, Jason Whitlock, and Bishop Fulton Sheen. He was an avid listener of political Conservative and libertarian podcasts and enjoyed knowing details about the movies he liked best. He would watch Siskel and Ebert movie reviews from their famed “At the Movies” shows on YouTube because they were fun and even more fascinating years later.

Anyone who knew Christian knew he was authentic and fun to be around. He was a bon vivant.

He was nearly six feet tall but loved dressing up as Napoleon for Halloween, even winning the best costume prize for a Halloween party at Columbia University in 2002. Christian loved music, especially from the 1980s ranging from new wave bands like New Order, the Smiths, Blondie, and the Cure to pop performers like Laura Branigan, Phil Collins, Dr. Hook, and Huey Lewis and the News. His favorite situation comedy series of all-time was Taxi, which he watched on reruns from the age of eight, because of its memorable cast and witty comedy.

Alannah Rae was the romantic love of his Christian’s life and brought out his fun, playful side even more during their time together. Alannah met Christian during Whitney Houston’s 1980s song “I Wanna Dance with Somebody” when she playfully stretched out her hand for him to dance with her. He smiled, took it, and the rest was history as their chemistry was instant and natural. If anyone saw them together, they would see them laughing, smiling, and having fun. Together they enjoyed concerts, sunny beaches, old school Italian eateries, amusement parks, bowling, tennis, batting cages, Halloween attractions, watching The Impractical Jokers, and driving around in his new Lincoln MKZ. As an avid lifelong Detroit Lions fan, Christian even got Alannah to occasionally root for the Lions—and would have worked on her even more in the season ahead. Alannah was welcomed into the family. She joins his parents and brother as one of the four people closest to Christian at his time of parting.

Christian’s life touched many people in 45 years. However, the most important part was his return to his Catholic Christian roots. He showed courage and optimism up to his final breath but he was not alone in his struggle. The extreme pain that Christian endured during his final six weeks, which took a fit, athletic, vigorous man into prolonged suffering could not have been endured without his strong abiding faith in God the Father, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Blessed Mother Mary. In one of the most agonizing points of his ordeal, his brother Richard found Christian in tears of pain one morning holding a rosary in his right hand that he gave him over 20 years ago. Christian prayed for the Mother of Christ’s intersession and finished his time on earth having received the holy sacrament of the anointing of the sick and wearing a blessed brown scapular in devotion to Mary. In his final days, Christian truly lived up to his name and was closer to Jesus than he had ever been. He will be missed beyond words by those who were closest to him and loved him most.

A visitation for Christian will be held Wednesday June 21, 2023 from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Krowicki McCracken Funeral Home, 2124 East Saint George Avenue, Linden, New Jersey 07036. The family will speak about Christian’s life at 7:45 PM.

A funeral mass will take place on Thursday, June 22, 2023, 10:00 AM at St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Church, 131 E. Edgar Road, Linden, New Jersey 07036.

A funeral will follow at Fairview Cemetery, 1100 E. Broad Street, Westfield, New Jersey 07090.

The family has used Cranford Florist and Gifts, 362 North Avenue. East, Cranford, New Jersey 07016, (908) 276-1032 for floral arrangements.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.krowickifuneralhome.com for the Izquierdo family. May Christian rest in peace.