Final Salute

Kenneth (Ken) Elwood Christiansen, 75, died peacefully surrounded by family on December 3, 2020. He previously lived in Athelstane, Wisconsin and moved to Orlando, Florida with his wife Nancy to live with his daughter and family due to his progressive Parkinsons Disease. Ken was born January 29, 1945, in Marinette, Wisconsin to Harvey (Elwood) and Mavis (Kaufman) Christiansen. Ken graduated from Marinette High School, the Class of 1963. Ken was very active in football, basketball and track during his school years in addition to the Boy Scouts in which Ken achieved his Eagle Scout Award. He lettered in all three sports and was co-captain of the football team. He earned the Most Valuable Athlete award for the Class of 63. Ken attended UW-Marinette from 1963-65. Following school Ken served his country in the United States Navy. He successfully completed all of the requirements in the Naval submarine school at the US Naval Submarine base New London in Groton, Connecticut, and received a meritorious Unit Commendation while on the USS Lafayette, a ballistic missile carrying nuclear submarine. He received an honorable discharge in 1970, but continued serving in the US Naval Reserve until 1989 after 4 years of active duty and 19 years as a reservist. During his years of service and leadership, he achieved the highest rank of an enlisted man in the United States Navy, E-9-Master Chief, with a designation of MSCM (SS). He married Betsey Ann Gustafson on August 28, 1965, and they were married for 37 years. Outside of Kens career in the Naval Reserves, he worked with New York Life Insurance Company, serving in a number of executive roles in Madison, WI, Des Moines, Iowa, Boulder and Denver, CO, retiring in 1994. He moved back to the Marinette area in 2010. In June 2014, he married Nancy Holz-Surk and they resided in Athelstane until January before moving to Orlando. Ken enjoyed a variety of outside interests including hunting, fishing in Canada, raising hunting dogs, running road races including a marathon, riding his Honda Goldwing motor cycle, and more. He is survived by two children: a daughter Heather Ann (Robert) Christiansen-Fagan, and a son Tor Erik (Jill) Christiansen; he has nine grandchildren: Mia, Kai, Ella, Joshua, Jaylin, Anthony, Layne, Cash, and Case. He is further survived by one sister, Kaia L. Christiansen (Newtown, PA) a special niece, Lisa (Ted) Janquart and his nephew, Marshall (Loretta) Smith, along with a host of other friends and relatives. He was preceded in death by his parents, Harvey (Elwood or “Woody”) and Mavis Christiansen, his sister Kirsti L Christiansen-Smith, and a brother Keith V. Christiansen in addition to his maternal grandparents Vendell and Louise Kaufman; and paternal grandparents Fredrick and Rosella (Ella) Christiansen (Birnamwood, WI). A visitation will be held at Hansen-Onion-Martell funeral home in Marinette on Friday, December 11, 2020, between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. with Pastor Lin Wittmann officiating at services. Due to the current public health concerns, please wear face masks for everyones safety. A Military rite and a committal service will be held for the immediate family at the Forest Home Mausoleum prior to entombment on Saturday, December 12, 2020, at 11:00 a.m.

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