David E. Christensen

Carbondale - David Emun Christensen, a retired SIUC Professor, died on July 28, 2014 at the age of 93. Dave will be remembered as a caring husband, father, grandpa, teacher, friend, and "world citizen". Dave was born in Ashland, WI, on Feb. 17, 1921, to Emun and Carrie (Loken) Christensen. He served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer during WWII, attaining the rank of Captain. He attended Mankato State Teachers College where he met and later married Carol Bullis on Feb 16, 1946. After completing his doctorate at the University of Chicago, he taught geography, cartography, and urban planning at Florida State University and Southern Illinois University. During some of his years at SIUC, he served as Associate Dean of the College of Liberal Arts, and Chair of the Department of Geography. Dave was keenly interested in political issues and international affairs and wrote many Letters to the Editor and several books on world affairs. Dave was a member of the Carbondale Planning Commission for twenty-one years between, 1967 and 2002. Dave served for several years as a member of the AARP Illinois State Legislative Committee and on AARP's National Legislative Commission. In 1995 he was a delegate to the White House Conference on Aging and in 1997 Dave helped organize the Southern Illinois Learning in Retirement Organization. In 1954, Dave and Carol helped organize the Unitarian Fellowship in Tallahassee, FL. They moved their family to Carbondale in 1961 and joined the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship. He was a charter member of The Stage Company in Carbondale in 1982. Dave was a wood carver, metal worker and wrote several plays, children's stories and numerous poems. In retirement, Dave and Carol enjoyed extensive worldwide travel to numerous countries including China, Italy, and Turkey. Dave's wife, Carol, died in 2003 after 57 years of marriage. Dave was preceded in death by his parents, Emun and Carrie, and both of his brothers, Ed and Alan. He is survived by his sister, Dot and his four children: Dan (Dianne), Alan, Karen (Vic), Shari (Judy). He is also survived by his six grandchildren: Laura, Brian, Vic, Cassie, Nicole, and Megan. In lieu of flowers, Memorial Gifts may be made to the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship Mortgage Fund or the David and Carol Christensen Undergraduate Research Award Fund in Geography and Political Science at Southern Illinois University, Carbondale. A Memorial Service for Dave will be held at the Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship at 105 N Parrish Lane in Carbondale at 3:30 PM on Saturday, August 2, 2014. Please come celebrate his life with us.



Service:



3:30 PM Saturday, August 2, 2014



Carbondale Unitarian Fellowship N Parrish Lane Carbondale, IL 62901