Max Christensen Obituary

Max G. Christensen Beloved husband of Janet, cherished father of Justin (Molly) and Spencer (fiance Rachael), and loving grandfather of Finn, died Aug. 30, 2011 after a brief illness. Born Sept. 9, 1949 in Nevada City, he moved with his family to San Francisco, where he graduated from George Washington High School. He also attended Cabrillo College in Santa Cruz, where he served as student body president in 1969. Max recently retired as Master Audio Engineer for the San Francisco Opera where he worked for 30 years. He was a proud member of the I.A.T.S.E. Local 16. He is predeceased by his father the Rev. Max L. Christensen and he will be deeply missed by his mother Barbara Christensen of Belmont, brother Tim (Lorna) Christensen of Reno, sisters Mary (Jim) Petrie of San Francisco and Ann (Winston) Searles of Mill Valley, sister-in-law Alison (Bob) Morris of Novato; nieces and nephews Shelley, Natalie, Andie and Nicholas Petrie, Winston Searles, Jessica Morris and Janean Hearn; and many cousins. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 10, at Good Shepherd Episcopal Church, 1300 Fifth Ave., Belmont. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Yellowstone Association at https://bitly.com/maxchristensen

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

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Sep. 7 to Sep. 8, 2011.

Memories and Condolences
for Max Christensen

11 Entries

Jeffrey Shifs

September 23, 2011

My sister Judy (see Shifs Ringseis comment below) recently informed me of Max's passing and I wanted to extend my sincere sympathies to Barbara and the family. The entire Christensen family was a big part of the fabric of our neighborhood during my childhood.

Heartfelt condolences to all.

Ruth Shifs

September 23, 2011

We are so sorry to hear of Max's passing.We were friends for years with he and his family.We were very close with his parents,Max,senior and Barbara.Max' father Max Christensen,Sr.Married our daughters Judy(Jim),Denise(Jim)
Son,Jeffrey(Kathy),Max went to Sunday School with our three children and his siblings.We knew from his mother of his wonderful success with the work at the San Francisco Opera House and we know he will be greatly missed by all friends and Family,we are so very sorry for your loss.
Sincerely, Philip and Ruth Shifs & Family

September 16, 2011

sending love and strength to all of you. i am so sorry for your loss.
very fondly,denise and jim waite

Judy Shifs Ringseis

September 16, 2011

I'm so sorry to hear about Max. I grew up attending St. James with my family in the 60's. We were one big community then. My parents were very close friends of his parents and parishioners of the church. His dad married me, my sister and my brother. I remember Max well from those days. He was definitely his own person and I thought that was so cool. Again I'm so sorry and send my condolences to his mother, Barbara and family.

Carole Klein

September 14, 2011

It's hard to believe Max is gone. For so many years I ran into him backstage at the Opera House (I was an extra trumpeter for all of the same years...). Max never failed to say hello and offer kindness. In addition, I've never heard better sound work anywhere. When we were in Civic Auditorium after the earthquake, he managed to amplify the singers without any of the tell-tale distortion of amplification. No one could even tell; they could just hear. I'll miss you, Max.

Amy Young

September 14, 2011

I am so sorry for your loss. I worked with Max at the Opera House. He always had a smile for me and was always there to help or answer questions. Just seeing him could calm an otherwise frantic turnaround because he was always so cool and calm. (I think I only saw him mad once.) He was a great co-worker, teacher and friend.
Blessings to his family...

Clear-Com Intercom Systems

September 13, 2011

Max was a true friend of Clear-Com for as long as I can remember…. He was always ready to help us test and refine our products and never hesitated to tell us what we needed to know… In a very real way Max helped us design some of our earlier features. Max always had a smile in his voice and a kind word for everyone he spoke with --

All of us at Clear-Com that had the pleasure of knowing Max are richer for the experience. Max Christensen will be missed.

Scott Padden

September 10, 2011

I met Max almost 30 yrs ago at the SF Opera. I liked him right away and found him to be an extremely smart and likable man. One of the best Audio Engineers I've met. He will be missed by family, friends, his Union and the SF Opera.

Millie Sheehy

September 9, 2011

The smile of Max in this guestbook picture is exactly the loving, exuberant smile I would see when dropping off Justin at your home when our children went to school together. Max would be waiting with his warm, fatherly smile to greet Justin. Max, your kindness to my children will never be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Jen Norris

September 8, 2011

Max was a great colleague. He was the heart and soul of the Opera's sound department for so very many years. He always had kind words and a smile for me at the end of a long day. I know he will be missed by many.

Bitz Haley

September 8, 2011

loving you all very much

Showing 1 - 11 of 11 results