Don Victor Christensen

Don Victor Christensen was born on June 24th, 1934, in Provo, Utah, to Victor and Evelyn Christensen, and passed peacefully in his son Scott’s home in Layton, Utah, on December 13th, 2022.

Our Father spent his childhood growing up on the family farm, just off of 800 North and State Street, in Orem, Utah, with his parents, and his brothers Kay, Larry, and Melvin. Dad was the second of the four boys. Numerous Sunday dinners were spent with Dad explaining to us the toils of the unrelenting work demands of his youth, from milking the cows, tending to the farm, to his daily paper route.

From an early age, Dad was committed to the principle of getting the job done, but more importantly, getting it done right. This course was rarely deviated from during his life, but for the antics of a few neighbor kids, his brothers, and most importantly, his childhood friend, Rex Duke, who may have been the recipient of a few pranks and at least one tainted apricot, when he asked for “bites” one too many times. Dad loved his friend Rex and remained in contact with him until his passing in 1983.

Dad left the family farm at an early age to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the New England States Mission. Dad loved the gospel and followed its principles with precise, and unwavering obedience and devotion. On his mission, he preached the gospel in Boston Commons, where he began a lifelong commitment to the Church and his callings. He served in numerous Bishoprics, High Priest Groups, Elder’s Quorum Presidencies, and in a Sunday School Presidency. He served as a Seventy, and eventually as a Seventies President, for which he was set apart by President Harold B. Lee in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in downtown New York City, which became one of Dad’s favorite stories. As children, we rarely saw Dad on Sundays, except for Scott, who was required to ride all over the New England area, while Dad served on the High Council.  However, our Dad would tell you as much about those callings as he would his days teaching Sunday School in the Bountiful 41st Ward, and the children he cherished in those classes.

Shortly after returning home from his mission, Dad met and began dating our Mother, Anne Egbert, of Provo, Utah. On October 25th, 1957, they were married in the Manti Temple. She was, and remains to be, the love of his life. He affectionately told each of his sons that he married a racecar, and that we should do the same, if we could keep up. They had five children together: Jill, Scott, Jerrilyn, Dan, and Ryan. 

Dad began his professional life with his studies at Brigham Young University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. He later obtained an Ivy League education at Lehigh University, where he graduated with a Masters in Business Administration. He later held affiliations with Purdue University for his work in Advanced Statistical Methods and was a Senior Member of the American Institute of Industrial Engineers.

Our Father’s career was largely spent with Dixie Cup Products (later known as American Can Company), where he worked in several positions including Staff Methods Engineer, Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Manufacturing, Superintendent of Processing, and as a Plant Manager over several different Dixie Cup factories across the United States. Dad always maintained that we never knew what he actually did for a living.  While that was largely true, on at least this one count, we could prove him wrong. If you ever noticed the wax ring at the bottom of your Dixie Cup that kept it from falling through when you kept your favorite drink in-hand too long, you observed a piece of our Father’s engineering and ingenuity. The design saved the company millions in production costs in the first year alone. For us kids, we just knew that American Can Company sent our family to amazing homes in California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and then back to California. Dad ended his career by moving back to Utah to be near his family, and to work for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he was employed until he retired in 1998.

Our Father also spent large amounts of his free time volunteering with the Boy Scouts of America. He worked as the Chairman of the Council of Leadership over forty-six Districts of the Boy Scouts (many of which were not affiliated with the LDS Church). Dad took great satisfaction in having completed Wood Badge and his Silver Beaver awards. The morals and principles of Boy Scouting were of great importance to him throughout his life.

Our fondest memories of Dad, however, were found in the hobbies he shared with each of us, including his love for photography, which he developed through his involvement in the High School newspaper and yearbook. Other passions included his love of firearms, and hunting. If there was ever a caliber created, Dad knew the precise ballistics of each one, and the best ammunition one could buy for each rifle produced in the 20th Century, and before. He shared this passion with anyone who would listen, and surely, even with some at the shooting range who wouldn’t. Most notable, however, may have been Dad’s love of bird dogs and bird hunting. We are all certain that there was a great reunion earlier this month with Spanky, Mitzy, Freckies, Coco, and Fudge. 

Don is survived by his loving wife Anne Egbert Christensen, their children Jill Anne Thatcher (spouse, Eric Thatcher), Scott Victor Christensen (spouse, Julie Christensen), Jerrilyn Olsen (spouse, Loren Olsen), Howard Dan Christensen, and Christopher Ryan Christensen (spouse, Heather Christensen), fourteen grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren, as well as his brothers Larry Christensen, and Melvin Christensen.

We love you, Dad, and will always appreciate you “more than you know.”

A viewing will be held in his honor 6:00-8:00 p.m. Friday, January 6th, 2023, at Russon Mortuary, 295 North Main Street, Bountiful, Utah. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, January 7th, 2023, at the Ward Canyon Ward, 540 North 1200 East,  Bountiful, Utah. A viewing will be held Saturday morning from 9:00-9:45 a.m. at the church prior to services. 

Services will be streamed live on the Russon Brothers Mortuary Facebook page and on this obituary page. The live stream will begin about 10-15 minutes prior to the services and will be posted below.

***In order to view Don's funeral service click on the small words "Watch on Facebook" in the black box below or click the following link:   https://www.facebook.com/russonmortuary/videos/2141645002705230