LaVoy S Christensen

Chris was born in Salt Lake City at the LDS Hospital on July 6, 1927. He attended Hawthorne Elementary, Irving Junior High, and South High School as did all of his children. He passed away peacefully on October 2, 2022.
He had a pretty normal life for a child of the Depression. Working hard, never letting anything go to waste. He was taught and lived his whole life with the old saying of “Use It Up, Wear It Out, Make It Do, or Do Without." He collected everything because you never know when you might need a part you have already saved. It was very rare when he could not fix something that needed repair.
Out of high school, he enlisted in the Navy at age 17 years old and turned 18 while waiting for his papers to enter the service. He went through boot camp and found himself headed to Alaska to board the destroyer USS Smalley for a cruise across the Pacific to engage the Japanese armed forces in the Pacific. While heading west, the war against Japan ended and his mission was changed from one of combat to occupation. Their ship sailed into Tokyo Bay and set anchor and supported the USA forces following the end of World War II.
Chris learned and played the clarinet and saxophone and was in a band named Rhythm in Rhyme. They were regularly invited to be the warm up band for other touring bands like Count Basie, Louis Armstrong, Glenn Miller, and Tommy Dorsey.
Back home from his military service, he dated Linda Arlene Turpin, who would become his wife on July 3, 1950. Chris and Linda had four children, three boys and one girl. They lived in a home in Sugarhouse beginning in 1955 and he lived there until 2021 when he went to Spring Gardens Care Center. He has 16 grandchildren and over 50 great-grandchildren.
Chris worked two jobs his whole life. He worked a number of years as a welder at a company called Structural Steel in Salt Lake City and later went on to work at most of the welding supply houses in Salt Lake City and earned himself the Salesman of the Month Award for a national company. After work, he taught welding at Trade Tech that later became Utah Tech and is now Salt Lake Community College. He taught thousands of people over the 30 plus years he worked for the college how to weld, including a group from Japan! He received numerous commendations for his teaching and help to the students.
In September 2014, Chris joined 64 other World War II vets on an Honor Flight from Salt Lake City to Washington D.C. The entire Delta plane was filled with the veterans and their escorts and Honor Flight staff for a whirlwind 3-day trip. They were able to visit the World War II Memorial, the Korean Memorial, the Vietnam Wall, Lincoln Monument, FDR Monument, Arlington Cemetery, and many other places. Wherever the vets went, the people stopped and applauded them and thanked them for their service. Many WWII vets never received any recognition when they returned from duty. Prior to the Honor Flight departure, he had a chance to visit with Governor Gary Herbert.
He has a number of metal art sculptures that he made and he says there is nothing special about them but they are all really good.
He is survived by his children, David (Karen) Christensen, Kathy (Gary) Duncan, Jerry (Karen Jo) Christensen, and daughter-in-law Maryann Christensen. He was preceded in death by his wife Linda Turpin Christensen and a son Ronald L Christensen, sisters, and his parents.
Services will be held on Thursday, October 6, at the Olympus 2nd and 5th Ward chapel located at 3070 East Nila Way (4010 South), Holladay, Utah at 11:00 am. There will be a viewing at 10:00 am at the building prior to the service. Video broadcasting of the service will be provided at the Zoom link here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87054046535
Please note you must have a registered Zoom account to watch the service.