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Stanford University University of Washington

Joseph Christian Obituary

Joseph Christian
PORTLAND -- Joseph Christian, engineer extraordinaire, died peacefully at home on Friday, April 30, 2010, in Portland.
Born in Honolulu and a long-time resident of the Philadelphia area, Joe was an incredibly loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather and will be dearly missed. He was a wonderful engineer with an artistic flair, and had a never-ending supply of stories from his years of adventure and his extensive career.
He was an alumnus of the University of Washington, Seattle, and Stanford University, California. Joe built dams in Alaska, helped develop the Fortran programming language at IBM, designed planetariums in San Diego and Monterrey, Mexico, and participated in designing and testing the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft.
Joe was a renaissance man who could build or fix anything and was a beloved handyman, touching many lives in his retirement. He had an incredible grasp of the fundamentals of physics that both grounded his approach to life and opened his imagination to all the unexplained phenomena.
His creative and gentle soul loved music and gardening; he was an expert flower arranger. Joe was an incredible, kind person, who was happiest when being helpful and always appreciated a good hug.
He was devoted to his family, his wife Susan Christian; his daughters and their spouses, Margaret Barili and Vera Pizzarelli, Sarah Christian and Chris Plumstead, and Jennifer Christian and Michael Chestnutt; his grandchildren, Dylan Chestnutt, Sarah Barili, and Danny Barili; and his four great-grandchildren.
A celebration and reminiscence of Joe's life is planned for July 24. Please call or email [email protected] for more information. Please visit www.jonesrichandhutchins.com for additional information and to sign Joseph's guestbook. Arrangements are being handled by Jones, Rich & Hutchins Funeral Home, 199 Woodford St., Portland.
In lieu of flowers, donations
may be made in Joe's honor to:
Portland Chamber Music Festival
50 Market St. #137
South Portland, Maine 04106 www.pcmf.org
and A Company of Girls,
East End Children's Workshop
P.O. Box 7527, Portland, Maine 04112
www.Acompanyofgirls.org
Jones, Rich & Hutchins
Funeral Home & Cremation Service
775-3763

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram on May 2, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Joseph Christian

2 Entries

Carolyn Ehringhaus

May 4, 2010

We are thinking of you all during this time of transition. Joe was such a sweet man and neighbor. We enjoyed being welcomed into your family dinners and hearing Joe's stories about Alaska along with other adventures he'd had through the years. We appreciated his friendship, his intellect, and his compassion. We are sorry for your loss.

Carolyn and Michael Ehringhaus

Jeff Comeau

May 3, 2010

My condolences to you and your family. Your Father was obviously quite an amazing man and will surely be fondly remembered by many.

Showing 1 - 2 of 2 results

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