sazerac scat

One of my dear friends from my college days at KU, Henrik Christensen, passed away Saturday night at his parents' home in Pittsburg, Kansas. He spent the past two and a half years battling brain cancer. Last year when he was feeling relief from the chemotherapy his parents took him around the country to visit places and see friends. I was lucky enough to be able to spend about 5 hours with him when he came to Portland and we got to play tennis. Henrik was an impressive tennis player and tennis coach. It was his first time playing since he was diagnosed with cancer. He had a hard time because he didn't have full use of the right side of his body, but I think he really enjoyed it. One of Henrik's best friends, Marla, will run the Chicago Marathon in Henrik's honor and to raise money for brain cancer. Her website is here, where she is accepting donations: http://www.active.com/donate/abta2008/marlahallacy. To meet Henrik: http://gbmvikingwarrior.com/

Obituary

Lee Henrik Christensen

Lee Henrik Christensen, 34, of Pittsburg, Kansas, died Saturday August 23, 2008 at 9:15 p.m. surrounded by family and friends. Henrik died from a brain tumor, (Glioblastoma Multiforme) first diagnosed on January 9, 2006.

Henrik was born to Lee R. and Sandra (Greer) Christensen, on July 12, 1974, at St. Johns Hospital in Joplin, Missouri. He attended George Nettels and Lakeside elementary schools in Pittsburg and graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1993. Henrik was class president each of his four years in high school and student council president his senior year. He was editor of the student newspaper, captain of the tennis team and graduated with a 4.0 GPA.

Henrik graduated from Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, December 1997, with a BA in Comparative Literature with an emphasis in Scandinavian Literature. While at Brown he spent the school year, 1995-1996, in Copenhagen studying Danish language, literature and culture through Denmark’s International Study Program. He studied advanced Swedish at Lund University, Lund, Sweden, in 1997.

Henrik earned an MS in Education with a focus on Higher Education Administration from the University of Kansas in May 2005. While at KU, Henrik was a graduate assistant in the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) office where he served as orientation coordinator and part-time immigration advisor. He was employed at the university in the ISSS office at the time of his diagnosis. He planned to continue working in the international student area professionally and had plans to pursue a Ph. D. in the near future.

Following graduation from Brown University, Henrik held the position of English Lecturer at Ostrov Gymnazium, in Ostrov, Czech Republic, 1998-2000. Henrik was the program assistant for the Kansas City teaching fellows initiative 2001-2002 and selection manager for the New Teacher Project in Atlanta, Georgia in 2003.

Henrik loved travel and adventure and had made friends in many parts of the world. Friends enjoyed his thoughtfulness, enthusiasm, adventuresome spirit, loyalty and wit. These friends sustained him as he waged his battle with cancer. Henrik was interested in others, was always curious about and respectful of other cultures, and valued family, home and Kansas. A fellow traveler described him as having lived a life not many get to live.

Henrik loved literature, tennis, hiking, living a healthy lifestyle and leaving a low impact on the environment. Henrik was enthusiastic about sports and was a fan of the New York Yankees, Kansas City Royals, Kansas Jayhawks, Pittsburg State Gorillas, and the Georgia Bulldogs.

Henrik is survived by his parents of the home, his sister Greer A.H. Lawson, brother-in-law Josh Lawson and niece Lane Alexandra Helen Lawson of Aiken, South Carolina. He is also survived by great aunts Frances Pate of Ashburn, Georgia, and Marcella Christensen of Toledo, Iowa, aunt Anne Mitchell, Buford, Georgia, uncles Jere (Julie) Greer, Thomaston, Georgia and Larry (Jane) Christensen, Rockford, Illinois and six first cousins: Jeremy Mitchell, Brooks Mitchell Vadner, Powell Greer Hosey, Patrick Greer, Scott Christensen and Michelle Christensen Rock.

He was predeceased by his grandparents Henrik and Helen (Christensen) Christensen, Toledo, Iowa and Walter C. and Darotha (Buice) Greer, Buford, Georgia.

Services will be held on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 11 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Pittsburg, Kansas, with the Reverend Kathleen Owsley officiating. Visitation will be held on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church. Henrik’s cremains will be interred at the Timmons Chapel Columbarium on the Pittsburg State University campus.

Memorial gifts may be made to Brains Together For a Cure, which helps fund brain tumor research and education at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Gifts can be sent in care of Brenner Mortuary, 114 East 4th St., Pittsburg, KS, 66762.

Honorary pallbearers: Josh Lawson, John Aaen, Dennis Crouch, Jack Johnson, Tom Kreissler, Tomas Lindner, Ivan Machkovi, Chris McGee, Jeremy Mitchell, and Andrew Yen.