Brent Christensen

Brent William Christensen

September 14, 1953 - January 17, 2015

Brent was born in Ceres, California, raised in Modesto, and spent his life as a citizen of the world. He graduated from Downey High School in Modesto in 1971, attended Pacific Lutheran College in Tacoma, Washington, and graduated from California College of Arts and Crafts (now California College of Art) in Oakland. Early on, he spent six months in Bergamo, Italy as a student and so began a lifelong love affair with Italy and all things Italian.
Brent worked at Wilkes Bashford with Walter Newberger in San Francisco and Donald Pliner in Los Angeles, and also sold shoes for Maud Frizon. In 1983, he joined Esprit as a member of the design team for their first line of shoes, working with factories in Brazil. Brent then had an opportunity to move to Taiwan and Hong Kong, where he spent two years designing shoes, including his own line of beautiful, whimsical shoes called Y Not.
Brent had an unmatched eye for beauty in all forms. When he returned from Taiwan, he moved into stonework, setting up his company Cimelio in Florence, Italy, developing a line of tabletops, lamps and objets d'art made of marble and semi-precious stones, and importing the Italian art of scagliola. He also indulged in his love for food and fine dining by serving as
ma?tre d' at Stars and Bix in San Francisco. In 1994, Brent and his life partner Stephen Bardessono left the Bay Area for Stephen's native Napa Valley and Brent went to work for Francis Ford Coppola's companies, starting in the winery tasting room and soon moving into visual merchandising and design. He spent almost two decades as Art Director for the Coppola companies, designing wineries and international resorts.
Brent was a larger than life spirit who loved all travel, food, wine, classic cars and a good cocktail. And most of all, Brent loved to laugh. His whimsical sense of humor, big grin, and infectious guffaw will be sorely missed by all who loved him.
Brent leaves behind his life partner of 31 years, Stephen M. Bardessono of Calistoga, and Stephen's family of Yountville, his dogs Marge Bowser and Snuggles Finkelstein, his parents H.Chris and Norma Christensen of Citrus Heights, sister Susan Cox, and nieces and nephews Christine and Bradley Johnson, and Lindsay, Blaine, and Blake Cox. Brent was pre-deceased by his sister Jan Johnson and his beloved canines Oso, Betty, Phyllis, Jackie, and Shirley, and felines Eunice and Mumm.
Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, Brent has requested donations in his name to:
Napa Valley Hospice in grateful acknowledgement of their care and kindness.
Napa Valley Hospice
414 South Jefferson St.
Napa, CA 94559