William Christian

William "Bill" Christian - husband, father, friend, lawyer, candy maker, athlete, carpenter, conservationist and lover of wild places - died December 5, 2020 at his home in Pasadena, CA after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Bill was born in Corpus Christi, TX to William and Margaret Christian. The family, including his three brothers Donald, James, and John (deceased), eventually settled in Hellertown, PA. Summers spent working in the family candy store on the boardwalk in Ocean City, N.J. instilled two lifelong loves: candy making and the ocean. To receive a holiday tin of Bill's famous almond brittle was to know one of life's sweetest treats. His desire to pursue a life less ordinary led him from undergraduate days at Yale and a law degree at Harvard to become a district attorney in Bethel, Alaska. From there his career spanned years in government, law firms, and corporations, including Atlantic Richfield Company, in various locales including Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Pasadena. Upon joining the Nature Conservancy, Bill discovered his real passion for conservation. His work there was instrumental in ensuring the preservation of the area surrounding the Amargosa River, near Death Valley, for future generations. Christian Spring, a water source recently discovered and named in his honor, reflects the life-force he brought to his work in sustaining the wilds of the desert region that he loved.Bill was always willing to do more. As an educator, he taught an environmental law class at Claremont McKenna College, helping to mentor the next generation of environmental lawyers. He was a founding board member of the Amargosa Conservancy and was on the board of the West Pasadena Residents Association and the Arroyo Seco Foundation.Bill was a lifelong athlete who enjoyed challenging himself through marathons, cross country ski races, and squash games. He loved experiences and mechanics of the physical world; with creating and understanding how it all worked. His hands were rarely idle, as he was also a master-remodeler with a love of woodworking. A clear-eyed pragmatist, Bill was guided by a beautiful inner compass for ethics & justice. This was in direct conflict with having no outward sense of direction when behind the wheel of his dusty, beach sand and dog-haired pickup truck. Bill's family, including his dogs, meant the world to him and was a constant source of pride and joy. He was a loving and beloved husband to Barbara Zimmermann for almost 24 years. Together they enjoyed traveling, rescuing dogs, having cocktails on their deck overlooking the San Gabriel mountains and walking along Trail Six in San Clemente, CA. His kids, Sam (Casey Dove), Peter (Erin) and Anne (Zev Reuter) were the lights of his life. He instilled in them his lifelong love of learning new things and getting outside: skiing in Alaska, body surfing in Ocean City, NJ; or exploring the mountains above Springville, CA. His energy and zest for life will be missed by his children, their spouses, and his four grandchildren, Colter, Caltha, Camellia and Will. His love and legacy will live on through the countless lives and places that he touched. A celebration of his life will be held once family and friends from far and wide can gather again in 2021. Contributions can be made in his honor to the Amargosa Conservancy.