Obituary of John Francis Christensen, Jr.

John Francis Christensen, Jr., age 85, of Houston, Texas, was welcomed home by his Master on Sunday, January 12, 2020. A rare and true gentleman, John lived joyously, gave selflessly and shared his love of Jesus with his family, friends and strangers through his compassion for others, acts of kindness, and persistent faithfulness. He was a kind and virtuous man who could “walk with kings, but not lose the common touch“ while modeling the example of Christ as a true servant. He is survived by his devoted wife of 60 years, Beth Ann Rebaudo Christensen of New Orleans; their three children: daughter Ann Elizabeth Christensen of Houston, daughter Jeanne Christensen Posada and Carlos Eduardo Posada of Winter Park, son John Francis (Trey) Christensen III and Nancy Guyton Christensen of Houston and eight grandchildren: Elizabeth Hilty Bowen, Katharine Haley Bowen Lehfeldt, William Jackson Bowen III, Carlos Christensen Posada, Bella Christiana Posada, Abigail Guyton Christensen, John Murray Christensen and Patrick Francis Christensen and Michael Linus Martin Lehfeldt, whom Pappy considered his ninth grandchild, all of whom he loved unconditionally. Born on September 25, 1934, in Pensacola, Florida, he was the son of U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer John Francis Christensen, Sr. of Utica, New York and Alcyone Condon Christensen of Mobile, Alabama. His sister, Sister Helen Christensen, R.S.M. preceded him in death. John attended parochial schools in his hometown and graduated from Pensacola Catholic High School. In 1959, he received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Prior to graduation from Notre Dame, he served in the U.S. Army for two years. After completion of basic training at Fort Jackson, SC and military police and disciplinary guard training at Camp Gordon in Augusta, Georgia, he was very fortunate to be stationed in the picturesque region of Bavaria, Germany for sixteen months. Upon graduation from Notre Dame, he was immediately employed as a highway maintenance engineer by the Florida Department of Transportation. Then, on July 4th, 1959, on the majestic beaches of the Gulf of Mexico, on a blind date, he met a beautiful Southern belle from the City of New Orleans who would become his future bride. Thus, beginning the greatest roles of his life as a devoted husband and family man. After five years, he and Beth moved to Mobile, Alabama where he was a design and construction engineer with J.B. Converse and Co., Consulting Engineers, for seven years. In 1971, he left the engineering field to assume the position of County Administrator for Leon County, Florida and in 1973, he became the Staff Director of the Senate Committee on Transportation in Tallahassee, a position he held for fourteen years. He re-entered the private sector in 1987 where he served as President and later as Director of Governmental Affairs for the Florida Concrete and Products Association, a private trade group representing companies that produce concrete construction materials. He was with the Association for eighteen years until his retirement in 2005. He lived in beautiful Florida most of his life before moving to Houston in 2015 where he spent his last days surrounded by his wife, children, their spouses and his beloved grandchildren. Onward to victory! The Celebration of Life Mass will be held on Friday, January 17, 2020 at 12:30 PM at the Chapel of St. Basil, University of St. Thomas, located at 1018 West Alabama Street, Houston, TX 77006. Reception to follow service. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to either Shriner’s Hospital for Children, P.O. Box 1525, Ranson, West Virginia 25438; St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105; or Wounded Warrior Project P.O. Box 758516, Topeka, Kansas 66675- 8516. A very special thank you to the caring staff at The Village of River Oaks!