Brian Christensen

Brian Carl Christensen, 64, a special brother and friend of many, of Mesa, AZ, went to his eternal, peaceful rest on September 14, 2012. Cremation has taken place, and a celebration of Brian's life will be held at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, ND, on Monday, September 17 at 5:30 p.m. CDT. Brian was born September 24, 1947, in Elgin, ND, the son of Howard E.H. and Helen Symanoski Christensen, and spent the bulk of his life on the family farm west of Raleigh, ND. Brian attended Raleigh Grade School and graduated from Flasher High School in 1965. Brian went on to the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks where he pursued a teaching degree. After college and a brief period of time driving truck, he returned to Raleigh where he farmed with his father and brother, Robert, on the family farm. He continued to work on the family farm and also became a substitute mail carrier and later, a full-time mail carrier in the Raleigh/Flasher area. During his career at the Postal Service, Brian was always ready to step up and fill in the needs of the postal consumer and his fellow employees. In support of this effort, he became a member of a group of postal employees to develop ongoing changes to better serve the consumer while improving internal employee morale. He served as secretary for this group for a number of years and continued to be involved with employee morale and customer satisfaction throughout his career in a more informal way by listening to fellow employee and customer concerns. In 1997, Brian transferred to Arizona as a mail carrier and settled in Mesa, AZ. With his open, independent, and philosophical thinking, Brian quickly became a friend to all his co-workers and neighbors in Arizona. If there was a need, Brian was always quietly there to lend a kind, helpful hand as well as a listening ear. He retired in 2009 with over 34 years of service. His contributions to society will be deeply missed by all those who knew him. Hunting and fishing were a big part of Brian's life. He enjoyed many hunting and fishing excursions with his immediate family and friends as well as extended family that visited from out of state. Even after he moved to Arizona, he would return each fall to North Dakota and enjoy the fall hunting season, either as one of the hunters or just as a "hunter's guide", driving vehicles or preparing meals for the hunters. When in Arizona, Brian's interest in the area made him one of the best guides of the area and you could depend on him to have a day trip or two of local sites in the area lined up to show you a good time. Brian also enjoyed the friendship of his neighbors and sincerely appreciated their warm and loving welcome to him by including him in their family gatherings. He spent many wonderful holidays with them and their families, either at their home or one of the nearby entertainment venues, such as a leisurely trip to Tortilla Flats or Fort McDowell Casino. A never ending love for his family and friends and his quiet kindness that was extended to all of them is the best way to describe the hallmark of how he treated those that surrounded him. Even during the past few years, while he dealt undauntedly with pancreatic cancer, he never let the disease interfere with his life, maintaining his same level of optimism for life. In fact, his resilience to bounce back from setback after setback is a testament to his zest for life. "Top of the morning," was his usual greeting when one called or visited with him and a pot of coffee or a favorite beverage was ready to share with some good conversation. Those left to celebrate Brian and his life are two brothers, Raymond Christensen and his wife, Sandra, Glen Ullin, ND, and Robert Bob Christensen, Elgin, ND; a sister, Arlis Waltos and her husband, Gerald, Baldwin, ND; and a brother-in-law, Buell Reich, Bismarck, ND; in addition, eight nieces and nephews and their families, Shari Pat Sanders and their children, Karli, Jake and Ty; Kyle Shelly Christensen and their children, Taylor and Cassidy; Brent Lisa Reich and their daughter, Liv; Kristin Willadsen and her children, Kira, Landon and Nora; Jennifer, Andrea, Justin and Brandon Waltos; and, all his friends, co-workers and neighbors whose lives were touched by knowing Brian. The family will be eternally grateful for sharing Brian's life and especially this past winter in Mesa, AZ. Brian was preceded in death by his parents, Helen and Howard Christensen, and a sister, Arlene Reich. In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorials be sent to the American Cancer Society.

Brian Christensen

September 24, 1947 - September 14, 2012