Chris Christopherson

1934 - 2017

Cecil Eugene "Chris" Christopherson passed away on the morning of Aug. 22, 2017. He was born in Declo, Idaho, on June 4, 1934, to Cecil and Bonnie Belnap Christopherson.

After high school, Chris did field and surveying work for the U.S. Forest Service in northern Idaho and western Montana. He would later regale family and friends with stories (mostly true) about his time in the Western outdoors.

He interrupted his college studies to join the U.S. Air Force and was accepted into the navigation training program as a cadet. More (mostly) believable stories were born of his adventures in the service. He completed flight training, but because of health issues, he was redirected into computer programming, qualifying him to start a new career in the brave new world of computers.

He married Diane Olson in 1963, and they raised two children, Brian (Aurora, Colorado) and Anne (Grand Forks, North Dakota). They divorced in 1994.

Chris eventually graduated with a bachelor's degree in the liberal arts from the University of Montana. While a student, the U.S. Forest Service hired him as a software designer and computer programmer for Region 1. His biggest achievement there was to develop a system for managing timber development and inventory that was still in use at least 10 years ago. He then moved on to Control Data Corporation, first as a troubleshooter and then as a sales representative. The family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho, so that he could achieve his proudest moment with the company by brokering a deal with EG&G, Idaho. This sales earned him the Shark Award as outstanding salesman of the year. He eventually left Control Data to work for ETA Systems, a CDC off-shoot. From ETA, he moved on to Network Systems; all sales positions.

He finally retired from what he called 'useful work,' and moved to Columbus, Ohio. He continued to be an avid reader, spent a lot of quality time with his brother Larry and found a great community of friends and fellowship at Karl Road Baptist Church. Chris leaves behind a legacy of amazing stories and a remarkable laugh. He would like his friends and family to smile, if not laugh, upon remembering his life and spirit.

Chris is survived by his children; brothers, Larry (Ginny), of Columbus, Ohio, and Gerald (Carol), of Discovery Bay, California, and sisters, Rita (Jack) Shearer, of Gig Harbor, Washington, and Barbara (Bill) Geiger, of Moses Lake, Washington. He was preceded in death by both parents; sister, Marilyn (Paul) Stewart; and brother, Jack.

In his later years, Chris benefited greatly from the Veteran's Administration and the Franklin County (Ohio) Senior Options program. His name can be found on the Wall of Honor at the Northeast Montana Veterans Memorial Park in Fort Peck, Montana. Chris' family welcomes donations in his memory to these types of organizations, so that someone else may benefit from their work. There will be a memorial service Oct. 29 at Karl Road Baptist Church in Columbus, Ohio, and a memorial service for family members in Idaho at a later date.