Charlene Kaye Christensen

Charlene Kaye was born in Evansville, Indiana to Charles Frederick and Florence Hunter Foerster on April 15, 1942. She was the youngest of their five children. After graduating from Indiana State University, she moved to Fort Wayne, Indiana where she began teaching. In the summers, she worked at The Greenlake Conference Center, American Baptist Assembly Ground, where she met Homer Christensen. They married on June 8,1968 and then moved to Cordova, Alaska. While there, Charlene taught pre-school. In 1972, Homer and Charlene moved to Arlington, Virginia and made the Washington DC area their home. Charlene stayed home after their children, Michele and Kevin, were born, volunteering at their school and teaching adult Sunday School at Calvary Baptist Church in DC. Once Michele and Kevin were both in school, she started her work for Fairfax County Public Schools, first with the English as a Second Language (ESL) office in the bookroom, and later and until her retirement with the Office of Safe and Drug Free Youth. She was a professional volunteer church musician–directing a handbell choir, directing or participating in the vocal choir, playing flute, piano, or organ at both Calvary Baptist in Washington DC, and Ravensworth Baptist in Annandale, Virginia. She also helped in the Ravensworth Baptist Church library for a number of years, among many other activities. Charlene enjoyed traveling, having visited 48 of the 50 states (North Dakota and Louisiana were missed), and two trips to Europe. She was a constant at Michele and Kevin’s music, scout, or sport activities, and then when the granddaughters came, she attended their events when she could. Charlene is preceded in death by her parents, Charles Federick and Florence Hunter Foerster, her siblings and their spouses: Robert and Elsie Foerster, Winston and Shirley Foerster, Marion and Lawrence Oakley, and Jean and Al Platos. She is survived by her husband of almost 55 years, Homer and their two children Michele (Scott) Bach-Hansen and Kevin (Christina) Christensen and five granddaughters Madison, Kayla, and Emory Bach-Hansen and Ella and Katie Christensen as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. She will be missed by those who knew and loved her and we trust that she is finally at peace, getting some of her many questions of God answered, and enjoying the reunion with her family playing a piano while everyone sings. She was full of love for those around her, family or not. We ask that to honor her, you love yourself the way she loved you and show kindness to those around you. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 29, 2023 at 2:00 PM at Ravensworth Baptist Church 5100 Ravensworth Rd, Annandale, VA 22003. For those unable to attend in person, a Livestream option will be available. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Ravensworth Baptist Church.

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Charlene Kaye Christensen

April 15, 1942 - March 30, 2023