Trained as an engineer and industrial designer and fueled by a creative streak, John Christian (1929-2022) relished solving problems. He welcomed the challenge of finding an interesting line up a rock face; a safe route across a glacier; solutions for governments to address the threats of fire and nuclear war; and functional, aesthetically pleasing designs for homes, boardwalks, or bike paths. Later in life, he figured out how to apply his climbing skills to find finger holds in the shower stall following hip replacement surgery.

John was also an irrepressible optimist. When others would say “no” or “it can’t be done,” John would ask “why not”?  A family member referred to him as “Mr. Possibilities.” This attitude, coupled with a tremendous curiosity about life that made his eyes sparkle when he encountered new people or ideas, kept him going physically and mentally through the more than nine decades of life. Aging, for John, was just an opportunity to learn something new.