Erik Robert Christensen died peacefully in his home in Newark, Delaware, on Friday, March 18^th.  He was 90 years old.  He was surrounded by his beloved wife Shirley and his two sons, Steven and Paul.

Erik was the second of five children of Anna and Erik Christensen who immigrated from Denmark.  He grew up in Woodbridge, New Jersey and met his wife Shirley at Woodbridge High School.  He graduated from Woodbridge, The Fork Union Military Academy, and the University of Richmond.  In high school, he played football, basketball, and ran track and went on to Richmond on a football scholarship.   In 1956, his senior year he was named to the College All Star team that played against the Chicago Bears, the then NFL football champion, in an exhibition game.  He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1956 and played two years of professional football for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League before injuries ended his career.  In his later years, he was inducted into the Woodbridge High School, Fork Union Military Academy and University of Richmond Football Halls of Fame.  He loved football and was passionate about Fork Union and the Richmond Spiders for his whole life.  He would not have been able to attend college without football.

While in college he joined the Army and served both in the Army and the Army Reserves rising to the rank of Captain.  Had it not been for football he may have become a career military officer, and he loved the Army dearly.

After football, Erik went on to a career in sales and management selling industrial and commercial construction products with Johns Manville, Price Brothers, and Harco.  He developed strong relationships with many of his contractor clients and became a mentor to many salespeople over the course of his career, many of them becoming lifelong friends.  He loved the people part of the business.

Raising two boys he taught them football, basketball, baseball and golf and the power of hard work, which ran in the family, across two immigrant families.  Erik was a big, open man, who always had a story or joke and loved being with family and friends whether on the sidelines of a sporting event or on a golf course.  The spark and joy of his life came from his deep lifelong love of Shirley who always lit up his life.  He loved being around his grandchildren, great grandchildren and his many nieces and nephews who were always near and dear to his heart.

He is survived by the love of his life, Shirley; two sons: Steven and his wife Sarah and Paul and his wife Karen; granddaughters: Heather and her husband Jack and Julia and her husband Michael; grandsons: Brett and his wife Kelly, Matt, Brad, Chris, and Ned; great grandchildren: Riley Rose and Fallyn Bea, with several more to follow; sister Greta; and brothers: John, Walter and his wife Linda, and Kenneth.

A celebration of Erik’s life will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 11:00 AM at R.T. Foard & Jones, Inc., 122 West Main Street, Newark, DE 19711. Family and friends may attend the visitation beginning at 10:00 AM. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made payable to “Delaware Hospice” or “Doctors Without Borders” and sent in care of the funeral home.