Obituary of Roland Stewart Christensen

Roland (Ron) Stewart Christensen, passed away on May 20, 2023, aged 90 years, surrounded by family at United Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota. Resident of Lilydale Senior Living in Lilydale, MN, following decades in Brooklyn Center, MN.

Born June 9, 1932 in Duluth, MN to Meier and Charlotte Christensen, the 4th of 5 siblings: Gloria, Mike, Robert, and Jack. Graduated Morgan Park High School 1950. Left a machinist’s apprenticeship at the Diamond Tool and Horseshoe Company to attend the University of Minnesota Duluth, then University of Minnesota Twin Cities, where he joined the Psi Upsilon fraternity, earned his Bachelors of Electrical Engineering in 1955 (and in 1989, his Master of Business Administration).
In college served in the ROTC, followed by active duty in the U.S. Air Force from 1956 through 1957, and then the U.S. Air Force Reserve until he was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain.

Married April 4, 1959 to Betty Laverne Heikkinen. Briefly lived in various parts of the United States, then Duluth, finally settling in Brooklyn Center, MN, where they raised three children. Ron was active in local politics for much of his life. A strong proponent of public education, Ron served as an elected member of the Osseo school board from 1980 to 1995.

Lifelong parishioner in the Minnesota Church of Hockey: captain of the team at Morgan Park High School and later at UMD. Ron continued playing in old-timer leagues into the 1970s, where he once had the honor of checking former Governor Wendall Anderson into the boards.

Ron worked as an electrical engineer at various companies including General Electric, 3M, and Rosemount Engineering, where he worked on test equipment as part of the Apollo program. In 1973, was awarded U.S. patent no. US 3735170 A (“Commutator for D.C. Machines”) upon which was founded Dynetic Systems, later purchased by Dana Corporation. Ron eventually left management and returned to his engineering roots as an independent inspector to enforce electrical and fire safety codes, a job which he continued into his 80s.

Survived by wife Betty; children Kari, Nancy (Randy) and Kurt (Jennifer); grandchildren Rae (Regan), Laurel, Lora (Riley), Emma, Quinn, Cyprian, Calvin; great-grandchildren Kylan and Kaylee; sister-in-law Evelyn Christensen; and several nieces and nephews who will miss their Uncle Ronny.

A final thank you to the staff and administration at Lilydale Senior Living, who continuously went above and beyond to make Ron’s final years as comfortable as possible.

Cremation was performed at the Cremation Society of Minnesota; a private memorial service will be held at a later date.

He was always there for all of us.