Patricia Leighty Christensen

Patricia Leighty Christensen

Pat Christensen, 80, died on Thursday, December 17, 2009, at The Laurels of Charlottesville, while recovering from a brief illness.

She was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, in May, 1929 to the late Whitney Gordon Leighty and Edna Coder Leighty. Her family moved to Dubuque, Iowa, where she was raised on the banks of the Mississippi River and started her lifetime love of the water.

After she married, she moved to Skaneateles, New York, where she worked for the Skaneateles school system and was a charter member of the Skaneateles Ambulance Corp for 12 years. After her marriage ended, her beloved mother-in-law, Helen Christensen, offered help if Pat wanted to leave the snows of New York to move to Dallas, Texas, which she did in 1981.

Years later, after the death of her mother-in-law and the failure of multiple savings and loan companies she worked for, she moved to Charlottesville, Virginia. She had fallen in love with Virginia when she visited from drab, winter ravished New York State at Easter and the gardens were in bloom and beautiful.

Pat lived in Charlottesville since 1989, with both appearance and activity level defying her age. She spent hours at the Senior Center, MedFit, ACAC, and in local classes on an interesting variety of topics. Pat travelled at every opportunity, with trips ranging from international vacations to multiple visits to Williamsburg, Virginia, every year. Pat's true passion was being a volunteer at the University of Virginia Medical Center where she started in the Cancer Center in 1992, moved to the Hospice and Palliative Care Unit for nine years and then returned to her first love, the Cancer Center. She also served as an "actor" in the medical school's standardized patient program that helped train medical students.

Pat is survived by her son, David Christensen and his wife, Barbara, of Pittsford, New York; a daughter, Linda Christensen of Arlington, Virginia; a sister, Jacqueline Feuerhelm and her husband, Duane, of Churchville, Virginia; niece and nephews, Jody L'Heureaux, Jeff Feuerhelm and Jon Feuerhelm and their families.

Pat has been cremated and will be interred with her parents in Dubuque, Iowa.

A memorial service will take place 2 p.m. Monday, January 18, 2010, at Teague Funeral Service, 2260 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Remembrances and condolences may be sent to PatChristensenRemembered@gmail.com.

Memorial contributions may be made to the University of Virginia, Department of Volunteer Services, Box 80068, Charlottesville, VA 22908 to the attention of the Director or the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.

Friends may sign the guest register at teaguefuneralhome.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.