Christopher Gilbertson, 62, passed away unexpectedly in Fairfax, VA after being medevacked from Rome, Italy.
Chris was born February 2, 1959 to Ardyce DeBurle and Donald Gilbertson in San Bernardino, CA and raised in Porterville, CA. It was there he met and married his high school sweetheart, Beth Wolfram. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1978 and served faithfully aboard the USS Henry Clay SSBN 625 as an Electronic Technician for five years. He remained in the Naval Reserves for another 20 years. Chris' transition into the IT world began with Intergraph Corporation in Charlotte, NC. During those years in Charlotte, Chris also began his favorite role in life, father to his two amazing daughters, Caitlin and Rachel. In 1995, Intergraph transferred Chris and his very young family to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and thus began his worldwide wanderlust. Chris joined the U.S. Department of State as a Foreign Service Specialist in 2003. He served his entire career overseas, a feat he was quite proud of. The Embassies he served at included Lithuania, UAE, Morroco, Serbia, Afghanistan (Herat and Kabul), Germany, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Rome, Italy. Chris was a lover of life with the most infectious laugh. He was a patriot, certified diver, private pilot and car enthusiast. He had been working on restoring his beloved 1966 Corsa Corvair convertible for the past seven years. He finally brought her home this summer.
Leaving to cherish his memory, his wife of 42 years, Beth Gilbertson; daughters Caitlin Gilbertson and Rachel Vinnedge, her husband Jared Vinnedge. Mother Ardyce DeBurle and husband Ben; father Don Gilbertson and wife Gladys. Brothers Scott Gilbertson and wife Susan, Steven Gilbertson, Seth Gilbertson and wife Cindy. He also leaves behind adored nieces and nephews, in-laws and friends from around the world.
A private family memorial will be held in November, 2021 at Badin Lake. A Celebration of Life is also planned for friends and family in April, 2022.
