Marie Lillian Christianson

MILWAUKEE/MADISON-Marie L. Christianson, age 93, passed away peacefully in her Madison apartment on Sunday, June 26, 2016, in the presence of her husband of almost 73 years. She had lived all but the last three years in Milwaukee, until moving with her husband to Madison, to be closer to their son. Marie is survived by her husband, John; son, Roy (Dianne) Christenson; granddaughter, Lauren Christianson of New York City; brother, the Rev. John Chworowsky; sister-in-law, Johanna (Jahn) of Lake Mills; two nephews, Peter (Karen) and Andrew Chworowsky, of Taipei, Taiwan and Hong Kong; and niece, Elizabeth (Chworowsky) Kelly of Lake Charles, La. She was preceded in death by her son, Miles; and sister, Carol Towne. Marie had a wonderful and loving relationship with her husband. They had great affection for one another for their entire marriage. She was a voracious reader (probably a contributing factor in her having been valedictorian of her class at Bay View High School) and a very independent, professional woman before it was the norm to be so. Marie had a long career as a Milwaukee Public Schools kindergarten teacher, serving as president of the Kindergarten Teachers' Association for a number of years. She was a graduate (BS and MA) of what has become the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee and was a founding member of the Milwaukee Teachers' Union. Marie was a world traveler, who left only a few countries untouched by her presence. As one can see by the locations in which her niece and nephews reside, she needed to be a world traveler, especially since her brother and family lived in Hong Kong and Laos for a number of years. She served as the Commodore of the South Shore Yacht Club Ladies Auxiliary. Marie was a very personable presence to all she met. She had many friends, a number of which she played cards with, one of her enduring passions. She and her husband spent 25 years as summer residents of Leland, Michigan during their earlier retirement years, where she spent much of the time with her sister, Carol and was visited every summer by her son, Roy and granddaughter, Lauren. A memorial gathering will be held in Madison for the family and a few close friends later this summer. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com. Gunderson East Funeral & Cremation Care 5203 Monona Drive (608)221-5420