In 1969, she joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to an all-girls high school in Kenya, where she taught math and coached track. When she returned to the U.S., she worked as a Peace Corps recruiter for two years and attended law school at the University of San Francisco. Christensen practiced law for 13 years at Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco and was head of the company's civil litigation section. In 1993, Pamela, her husband, their 3-year-old son, Charles, and two golden retrievers embarked on a 10-month recreational-vehicle road trip exploring the U.S. The Christensen family moved to Evergreen in 1994, where Pamela became a full-time mother. She became active in Boy Scouts first as a Cub Scout den mother then later as a Boy Scout assistant master.
Obituary for Kenya RPCV Pamela Chappelle Christensen
Evergreen's Pamela Christensen remembered for her adventurous, generous ways
By Annette Espinoza
The Denver Post
Posted: 10/11/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT
Pamela Chappelle Christensen of Evergreen ( | )
Pamela Chappelle Christensen of Evergreen lived life filled with adventure and helping others.
Always physically fit, she once climbed Mount Kilimanjaro with her husband, David, bicycled across the country as a 1976 participant in Bike Centennial and ran the Boston Marathon.
The avid outdoorswoman died Oct. 4 from complications related to injuries she sustained in a fall. She was 61.
"We can't believe she's gone," said her brother-in-law John Christensen. "She was so unassuming, modest and gracious and a ray of sunshine."
Born in Honolulu, she moved to Fort Collins with her parents, Charles and Nettie Chappelle, as a child.
She was a graduate of Poudre High School. She graduated with honors in mathematics from Colorado State University, where was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
In 1969, she joined the Peace Corps and was assigned to an all-girls high school in Kenya, where she taught math and coached track.
When she returned to the U.S., she worked as a Peace Corps recruiter for two years and attended law school at the University of San Francisco.
Christensen practiced law for 13 years at Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco and was head of the company's civil litigation section.
In 1993, Pamela, her husband, their 3-year-old son, Charles, and two golden retrievers embarked on a 10-month recreational-vehicle road trip exploring the U.S.
The Christensen family moved to Evergreen in 1994, where Pamela became a full-time mother. She became active in Boy Scouts first as a Cub Scout den mother then later as a Boy Scout assistant master.
Brad Hart, cubmaster of Pack 507 in Evergreen, knew Christensen for 14 years.
"She was very much into teaching the boys about the importance of leave-no-trace scouting - no footprints and don't disturb the vegetation - and that had an impact on the boys," Hart said. "Pamela loved the program, her son. Whatever it took, she did."
Christensen was a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) volunteer for child victims of abuse and neglect and helped develop policy and protocols for a youth-mentoring program.
She was active in the Evergreen community and volunteered at an elementary school and served as president of the Stingers Soccer Club and King-Murphy Elementary School PTA.
She coached a mock trial team at Clear Creek High School.
The Christensens traveled extensively in Europe, Alaska, the Caribbean, Africa and Central America and hosted foreign exchange students from the Czech Republic, Macedonia, Uzbekistan and Syria.
She was an avid reader and loved animals.
In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son, Charles, a second-year cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
A private family remembrance was held, and a public celebration of her life will be held at a later date.
Annette Espinoza: 303-954-1655 or aespinoza@denverpost.com
