Christine Soderstrom

Christine Margaret Soderstrom, of Silver Spring, Maryland, died with her parents by her side on January 19, 2024, in Washington, DC, at the age of 54.

Chris was born in New York City on June 6, 1969, and at an early age moved to Baltimore, where she grew up in Roland Park. In high school, Chris completed an Outward Bound program, where she found her passion and life's work in nature. After graduating from the St. Paul's School for Girls in 1987, she made her way West. She earned a B.A. in Environmental Conservation from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1992. During her college years, she spent a semester in the desert Southwest, on a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) program, an experience that deepened her love of wild places. After her junior year, Chris drove to Alaska and worked in a salmon cannery for the summer. Alaska was where she fell in love with the beauty and wildness of "The Great Land". She later spent many years working to protect the Arctic National Refuge and ensuring that her beloved Tongass National Forest earned legislative protection from logging. She was especially passionate about the state's wild salmon, advocating to protect their ecosystems along the Pacific Rim.

Chris launched her professional career in Washington, DC, earning her Master's of Science in International Environmental Policy from American University in 1998.

She subsequently held various related positions, including Public Affairs Director for the Alaska Coalition; Director of Government Affairs for the Wild Salmon Center; Campaign Director and Senior Policy Advisor for the National Trust for Historic Preservation; Vice President of Government Affairs for the Conservation Lands Foundation; and Government Affairs Consultant on Conservation Policy. Chris also partnered with non-profits at the international level in Russia, Japan, and South Korea. At the time of her death, she worked as Vice President of Conservation and Development for The Boat Company, a not-for-profit organization that preserves land and seascapes in southeastern Alaska.

With her kind and generous heart, Chris often helped the less fortunate by handing out warm coats, socks, food or money to people experiencing homelessness. She also worked with veterans for the Wounded Warriors Project. In 2004, she worked tirelessly as a volunteer for John Kerry's presidential campaign, and in 2019, she joined Jane Fonda and thousands of other climate activists for Fire Drill Fridays on Capitol Hill, demanding action for a cleaner, greener and more just world.

Chris leaves behind a legacy of laughter and love for her family, friends and the natural world that she worked so effectively to protect.

Chris was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Margaret and Thomas Dillon, Sr; her paternal grandparents, Sylvia and Carl Soderstrom; and her favorite uncle, Thomas (Doc) Dillon, Jr. She is survived by her parents, Margaret Theresa Soderstrom, PhD and Carl Armas Soderstrom, MD; her aunt and uncles, Elizabeth Dillon-Marable, PhD, Michael Marable, and William Black; her cousins Kelly Black Russell, Nicole Black Dennard, Pamela Dillon, second and third cousins, and a wide circle of loving friends who mourn and celebrate many good memories of her.

A memorial service and reception will be held on June 6, 2024 at 11:00 am, at the Episcopal Cathedral of the Incarnation in Baltimore. Parking and access to the cathedral is at 3601 North Charles St.

Memorial contributions in Chris' name may be made to Salmon State: https://salmonstate.org/donate