Roy Martin Christensen

Roy Martin Christensen, 93, passed on January 8, 2025. Roy was born in Brooklyn, NY, on May 31, 1931. In his later years, whenever sharing his birthdate, Roy was always quick to share that he was still vertical, being proud of his age and height. Roy was the only child of Gustav and Margit Christensen who immigrated from Norway in the 1920’s. Roy spoke Norwegian as a young boy until going to school. Throughout his life at meal times he often still shared “Takk for Maten”, thanking his family for food. He studied electrical engineering at the City College of NY and served in the Army during the Korean War, before moving to NJ and beginning his career with RCA in Princeton.

Roy married Suzanne Cassidy, from Edwards, NY, in September of 1963. Their family grew to include three children (Lisa, Lori and Tim) and several family pets. They resided on Pleasant Valley Road in Titusville, NJ for over half of their 61 year marriage. Roy worked for RCA in the patent department, and had a published patent on sound field transmission systems that would surround a listener and a shared patent on sound reproducing systems including quadraphonic matrix types. He indulged his love of music each night as Glen Campbell, Chet Atkins, Petula Clark and others played as his children drifted off to sleep. Roy was an accomplished man who could fix or build anything. For his family, he built a second story deck and a landscaped patio, maintained cars, installed electricity and plumbing in a rustic summer home, built shelving and pantry units, and would always be available to assist neighbors with television and other repairs. His children knew they could depend on their dad for math tutoring each evening. Outside the home he and Sue enjoyed hosting and attending dinner parties and dances, engaging in their kids’ school activities, bowling, and weekly tennis.

Roy and Sue retired to Tucson, Arizona, where they lived in the active Sun City community. They hiked, bowled, square danced, and enjoyed margaritas by desert and mountain views. Roy was proud of his mixology skills when it came to those margaritas. In his later years, Roy became a volunteer at The Golden Goose where gently used items were refurbished and resold. Roy and Sue always returned east to spend time with family at Christmas and at Trout Lake in the Adirondacks in July and August. Lakeside, Roy spent many peaceful hours sailing the lake and modifying his sailboat. He was also always able to keep a boat motor going one more year.

In 2020, they moved to Virginia to be closer to family as Roy had begun to show signs of cognitive decline. He is survived by his wife Suzanne, his daughter Lisa Sansone and husband Bob of New Kent, VA, his daughter Lori Held and husband Klaus of Annandale, VA, and son Tim Christensen and wife Lynn, of Christiansted, St. Croix. Roy’s next generation includes Bobby Sansone and wife Megan, Mary (Sansone) Weaver and husband Bruce, Cassidy (Christensen) Calkins and husband Shane, Douglas LeSage, Cole Christensen, Thomas Held, and Henry Held. Roy also lived to see three great grandsons born to his family, Lee Weaver, Nicholas Sansone, and Mason Weaver.

A celebration of life is being planned for the summer at Trout Lake. In lieu of flowers, the family would prefer donations be made to an organization of your choice in Roy’s name.