In loving memory of
Glen Dennis Christensen
August 17, 1952 - May 28, 2026
Glen Dennis Christensen passed away from complications of vascular stenosis at his home in Vancouver, Washington. He was 73 years old.
He was born the youngest of six children to Clyde and Phyllis Christensen of Newton, Utah. The family had a 50-acre farm, where chores and hard work taught the children many skills from a very young age. Glen’s favorite activity was riding horses.
Besides working on the family farm and for other local farmers, Glen worked in the fiberglass industry, building boats and dune buggies. He also worked for his brothers, Bruce and Steven, at their catering business in Salt Lake City.
Glen became skilled at metalwork and layout, which led to a journeyman position as a precision sheet metal mechanic and draftsman. He was hired by Morton Thiokol Corporation, where he became Lead Tool Designer and NASA Operational Readiness Chairman before retiring.
Glen loved music and taught himself to play the piano, keyboard, and organ. He was incredibly talented at improvisation and playing by ear, and he enjoyed playing piano and organ in blues rock bands in Ogden.
He was educated in Cache Valley, Utah, schools and later studied mathematics and writing at Weber State University in Ogden, Utah. Glen was curious and creative, with a lifelong love of learning. Just weeks before his death, he was still studying and sharing new interests, including the origins of human history. He loved understanding how things worked through mathematics, physics, music, history, and the practical mechanics of everyday life.
Glen had a clever sense of humor that kept his friends and family laughing. He had a soft voice, so one had to pay attention, or you might miss his wit. His humor was kind as well as smart, witty without being at the expense of others.
Glen married Linda K. Jensen in Salt Lake City, and together they raised three children: stepson Brandon Smith and daughters Lindsay and Janessa Christensen. Brandon passed away from muscular dystrophy in 1998 at the age of 27, and Janessa passed away from cancer in 2021 at the age of 34. Glen’s older sister, Nora Jean, passed away after a car accident in 1959.
Throughout his life, Glen was known for his big heart, generosity, and kind, caring nature. He showed love through service. He gave freely of his time, attention, money, care, and practical help, always looking for ways to make life better for the people around him. If he saw that someone needed something—anything—he was there to help.
He was a dedicated father, loving grandfather, and loyal brother and son. He was especially devoted to his children and made sure they knew they were loved. He was the kind of father who taught his daughters about physics and mathematics, but also how to change a tire, jump a battery, and manage money responsibly. When his children were young, the backyard was full of evidence of his skill and care: swings, sandboxes, and a deck he built for the family home. Sawhorses, tools, and MacGyver-like solutions to household problems will always bring him to mind.
Family was deeply important to Glen. He made a point of keeping his children connected to grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and extended relatives, bringing them to family gatherings and encouraging birthday cards, phone calls, and visits. He loved his immediate and extended family and helped them in countless ways throughout his life.
Glen also valued being a good citizen. Though he stood firmly in his values, he made a point of investigating and understanding multiple points of view and cared about where people on all sides were coming from.
After retiring, Glen moved to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to his daughters and to continue playing in blues and jazz combos. He enjoyed living simply and loved being near nature, horses, trees, and rivers. He lived on the banks of the Kalama River and near the mighty Columbia River. By his request, his ashes will be cast upon the waters there.
He is survived by his daughter, Lindsay Christensen of Kent, Washington; grandson, Julian White; brothers Steven Christensen of Sun City West, Arizona, and Bruce Christensen of Sandy, Utah; and sisters Bonnie (Benita) Mattioli of Santa Rosa, California, and Barbara Wood of Denver, Colorado.
In words Glen left for those he loved, he expressed love and appreciation for his immediate and extended family and friends, and hoped to be forgiven for the mistakes he made against others in his life. Glen will be deeply missed and forever remembered.