Joan Victoria Christenson

Joan Victoria Christenson, age 86, passed in peace at her Ashton, MD home from sudden, unexpected illness on Tuesday, February 11th 2025. She was surrounded by family, friends and wonderful neighbors from her neighborhood of 64 years.

Born August 18th,1938 in Washington, DC, Daughter of John (Hans) & Katherine Sedlmaier. Joan lived her school years in Washington, DC, where her family had a Dry Goods store and boarding house which sponsored young German immigrants. In 1957, Joan and her family traveled by steam ship, bringing their car, to Germany for 3 months visiting various family members throughout Bavaria, Krefeld, Cologne, & Aachen.

Joan’s family had a summer cottage outside Annapolis, MD in Woodland Beach where she loved to spend the summers and where she later met her husband of 63 1/2 years, Gene. Later in life she and Gene bought a place in Chincoteague, VA where she could continue to enjoy the beach and “island life” with friends and family. Joan loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She especially loved the times at the Ponder Cove and Chincoteague beaches. She loved traveling, cooking, baking, shopping and watching the Redskins.

Joan graduated from Roosevelt High School, Washington DC, in 1956. Before becoming a stay-at-home mother, she started her working career at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. Once her children were old enough to stay home alone, she began working at the Ashton Methodist Church which eventually led to her position as the Assistant to the Registrar at the Washington Theological Union where she worked for 34 years before retiring in 2009.

Joan is survived by her sons Douglas Christenson (Tammy) and Donald Christenson (Nicole), sister Elise Mueck, grandchildren Eric Christenson, Amanda Christenson, John Christenson (Brooke), Robert Jordan, Donald Jordan (Courtney), Paul Christenson, & John/Billy Christenson, great grandchildren Alyiaha, Anthony, Preston, Blake, Harlowe, and Johnny Christenson.

Joan was preceded in death by her daughter, Denise Jeanne Jordan, and her husband, John (Gene) Robert Eugene Christenson.

Services will be held at 3:00pm on Friday March 7th with a gathering immediately following - Donaldson Funeral Home of Clarksville, 12540 Clarksville Pike, Clarksville, MD 21029.

Her strength, courage, and grace will continue to impact our family and future generations. She will be deeply missed by all those she touched.