Karl Adam Christian

Our devoted husband and father decided to celebrate his 86th birthday in heaven this year and passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, March 2, 2017. Karl Adam Christian Sr. was born on March 21, 1931 in Los Angeles, California to Karel Adam Hendrick Christian from the Netherlands and Esther Willhelmina Botha from South Africa. He was the first and only child for seven years until his sister Anna Bridget (Ann) came along. Seven years after Ann his second sister Carole Jean was born. They looked up to and adored their handsome and charismatic older brother. His childhood was full of love with many Saturday trips to the beach, pony rides, piano lessons, and exploring outside. Karl was an independent soul and free spirit with an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and adventure. As an elementary student, he would occasionally skip the bus to school and instead catch the city bus into town to visit a museum all day, giving himself his own unique education. This was only the beginning of a lifetime of reading and learning, discovering all the world had to offer. He joined the boy scouts and advanced to the Sea Scouts which seemed to fuel his love for the ocean. His passion as a youth was motorcycles and racing them on Catalina Island was a favorite. He graduated from El Monte high school in 1949. In 1951 he joined the Air Force and took courses to become an aircraft mechanic, graduating second in his class. He loved serving his country and doing his small part during the Korean war. He attended Santa Monica City College and then went on to the University of Southern California, where he played JV Football. During his college years, he met some friends that introduced him to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Though he was not raised to be a part of any particular religion, he fondly recalls the memory of listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir as a child on Sunday mornings with his parents, an believes these planted the seeds of truth in his heart. After investigating the Church, he knew he had found the eternal truths he was seeking and was baptized on August 31, 1957. His institute instructor, Elder Paul H. Dunn confirmed him a member of the Church. He said he wasn't a "real Mormon" unless he attended BYU, so off he went to Provo Utah and received Bachelors and Masters degrees in business and education. After graduating from BYU, he began his teaching career. Following a year of teaching high school in Utah, he decided he was "allergic to snow" and took a contract to teach in warm and sunny Hawaii in September 1963. This began a lifetime of love and appreciation for the Polynesian people and their culture. As an unattached bachelor he spent many summers traveling the world and absorbing the many different cultural treasures that added to his colorful character. During the summer of 1968, he met Shauna Gae Hammond, a beautiful elementary school teacher from Bountiful Utah who was taking her summer vacation in Hawaii. They began to date, but when the school year started and took her back home, Karl wasn't content with closing the door on their relationship. They continued their courtship over the phone and through letters and tapes, and just a few months later they were engaged. They were married December 27, 1968 in the Salt Lake Temple and returned together to make their home in Hawaii. Karl's passion for traveling inspired him to take his new bride on a trip around the world. Together they visited over 25 countries. Six years after they were married, they moved back to Utah and Karl designed and built his home in Taylorsville Utah. They had their first daughter, Emma Lei in May 1975. Eleven months later, in April of 1976, Karl Adam Christian Jr was born. During their early parenting years, Karl taught math and physics at the Salt Lake Community College. In April 1980, Amelia Ann joined their family. Shortly thereafter, Karl was presented with an opportunity to work in South Africa, and being so fond of his mothers' stories of her childhood there, he relished the chance to live in her native country. They sold their home and embarked on a new adventure true to Karl's nature. While there, their fourth and last child Kathryn Esther was born, in October 1982. They lived there for two years then returned to Utah. In the summer of 1986 they decided to move back to Hawaii to add to the eleven years of teaching he had already completed. For the next seven years their children enjoyed rich childhood memories learning to surf, bonfires on the beach, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, night-time crab hunting, diving for lobster and octopus, luaus, picking fresh papaya from their backyard tree, making plumeria leis for visiting family members, his only son playing football at Kahuku High School, and participating in activities in their Laie community and BYU-H. Karl retired from teaching in 1993 and they returned to Utah. He worked for Southwest airlines for the next ten years which gave him flight benefits for he and his wife for the remainder of their lives. They enjoyed several more trips including Paris, China, Mexico, and a Church History tour in England. Their children have since married and brought into their lives 13 wonderful grandchildren. Karl's high energy, vitality, and positive attitude made him a fun and supportive "Opa" to his grandkids. Karl's love of the gospel instilled in his heart a strong desire to serve a full-time proselyting mission. He finally realized this dream when he and Shauna were called to the South Africa Cape Town mission where they served faithfully from October 2007 to April 2009. They then served three other church service missions including the Inner City Project, Guest Services on Temple Square, and finally with the Pathway Project. He loved spending time watching the news and keeping up on everything going on in politics. Just like when he was young, he always wanted to be informed on the latest happenings in the world around us. He was always the first to know the newest breaking news and when he wasn't home had headphones in his ears to listen to the radio. Karl was always learning up to the very end, and always had something interesting to share with those around him. He was valiant in his Testimony of Christ throughout his life, and was constantly finding opportunities to share his knowledge of Christ's restored Gospel. He now continues this sacred work on the other side. His happy nature and habit of always finding the good will be greatly missed by his family and friends. Funeral services will be held Friday, March 10, 2017, 1:00 p.m. at the Bennion Ward, 5980 South 1300 West. Viewings will be held Thursday, March 9th, 6-8:00 p.m., at McDougal Funeral Home, 4330 South Redwood Road, and again prior to services Friday at the church, from 11:30-12:45 p.m. Interment, West Jordan City Cemetery. Place of Birth:Los Angeles, CaliforniaPlace of Death:Taylorsville, Utah