March 21 1936 July 23 2019
Gary’s Obituary Gary L. Christensen, age 83, died on Tuesday, July 23, 2019 at Sanford USD Medical Center in Sioux Falls, SD. Funeral services will be 10:30 AM on Friday, July 26, 2019 at First Reformed Church in Sioux Falls with burial at Woodlawn Cemetery in Sioux Falls, SD. Visitation will be held at George Boom Funeral Home in Sioux Falls on Thursday, July 25, 2019 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Gary Lee Christensen was born March 21, 1936 in Viborg, SD to Henry and Metta (Hansen) Christensen. He grew up and attended school in Viborg and in Parker, SD after the family moved to the Parker area. He served in the US Army for two years from November, 1956, serving in Korea as a telephone cable splicer until his release in 1958. After his release he worked for Dakota Co-op Telephone Company until 1959 when he began working for Lindsay Brothers Wholesale Company, Sioux Falls, SD. On, May 20, 1959, he was united in marriage to Shirley Henke at the Second Reformed Church in Lennox, South Dakota. They made their home in Lennox, SD. In 1961Gary was recalled into the US Army during the reserve call-up and served at Ft. Riley, Kansas and Ft. McCoy, Wisconsin until he was honorably discharged in 1962. They continued to live in Lennox, SD where their son, Jeffrey was born on August 5, 1964. In 1966 they moved to Sioux Falls, SD, where he continued to work for Lindsay Brothers Wholesale Company, working in Sales and then as Assistant Branch Manager. In 1986 the company was sold and eventually was liquidated. Gary became a licensed Real Estate agent but pursued a career in Sales at MidAmerican Energy Company retiring in 1998. After retiring, he worked part-time in customer service at Sioux Falls WinPump Company. Gary was an active member of the Sioux Falls Home Builders Association, March of Dimes, Toys for Tots and United Way. He spent many years coaching Gray-Y basketball, bantam and teener baseball, and was active leader in Cub Scouts. He was a long-time member of First Reformed Church, Sioux Falls, SD, where he was a past board member, a member of the new church building committee and long-time member of the adult choir. Gary enjoyed spending time at their lake home at Lake Madison, SD, entertaining friends, family, and relatives. His hobbies included fishing on the Missouri River, hunting, golfing with his golfing group, and various snowmobiling outings to the Black Hills. He enjoyed spending time with his grandchildren, attending their sporting events and playing rounds of golf with them on the golf course. He enjoyed traveling to Hawaii, Alaska, Mexico, Canada, and taking many bus tours to various parts of the US. Grateful for having shared his life are his wife, Shirley; son, Jeffrey and his wife Gaylene of Sioux Falls; two grandchildren: Micah Christensen and his wife, Brielle of Lynden, WA and Mikayla Schuler and her husband, Evan of Atlantic, IA; one great-grandson, Beckham Christensen; sisters: Evangeline Krueger of Pierre, SD; Carol (Frank) Merrill of Algona, IA; brother, Darrel (Marilyn) Christensen of Sioux Falls; sister-in-law, Glenelle Christensen, Sioux Falls, SD; and many other relatives and friends. Preceding him in death were his parents, brothers: Robert and Eugene; sister-in-law Hazel; brothers-in-law: Earl Larson and Alfred Krueger. Read More
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Gary Lee Christensen March 21 1936 July 23 2019.
Death notice for the town of: Brandon, state: South Dakota