CHRISTENSEN, Ronald Dale 

1924-2008 

Ronald Dale Christensen passed away Saturday, Dec. 20, 2008, at age 84 . 

One of six children, Ronald was born Jan. 24, 1924, in Tacoma, Wash., to the late 
Vernon and Aurelia Christensen. In 1942, the family moved to Oregon. Ronald 
graduated from Beaverton High School, where he was senior class vice president. He 
was chosen as a candidate for officer's training and attended The University of Texas 
at Austin, where he received his bachelor's degree. 

Ronald was especially proud of his family's connection to the steamship Virginia V, a 
national historic landmark, now a popular excursion vessel on the Puget Sound. His 
grandfather, Nels G. Christensen, commissioned the Virginia V and was its first captain 
in 1922. 

Ronald served as a naval officer during World War II, attaining the rank of lieutenant 
junior grade. After leaving the service, Ronald returned to Oregon to begin a career in 
education that spanned over 30 years. In 1956, he married Naida Fuqua, also a 
teacher, and they subsequently adopted two children. In 1973 they moved to Lake 
Oswego. They were married for 37 years before Naida preceded him in death on July 
12, 1993. 

Ronald received his master's degree in education from Lewis and Clark College and 
went on to spend the next 27 years as an elementary school principal for Portland 
Public Schools, including Eliot, Holladay, and Mary Reike, among others. He retired in 
1985. 

Ronald was an active member of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Lake Oswego. He 
was also an avid hiker and a member of Trails Club of Oregon. For many years, he led 
hikes on the Columbia Gorge, Mount Hood, and the Oregon coast. He shared his 
passion for nature and the Pacific Northwest by spending family vacations visiting such 
places as the Olympic National Forest and Wallowa Lake. 

Ronald is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, David and Deborah Christensen of 
Snohomish, Wash.; daughter and son-in-law, Joanna and Ken Bucchi of Lake 
Oswego; five grandchildren; and sisters, Nancy Miles of Newcastle, Calif., and Gloria 
Graves of Portland. In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by 
two brothers, Darrell and Vernon Christensen, and a sister, Marlene Pinkerton. 

A service will be held at 12 p.m. Monday, Jan. 5, 2009, at Willamette National 
Cemetery. 

Please sign the online guest book at www.oregonlive.com/obits. 

Published in The Oregonian on 1/1/2009