Special to the Sun
John Christiansen of Boston passed away suddenly at his home in Kennebunk, Maine, on Saturday, Aug. 31. He was 83.
Born on May 15, 1941, in Aurora, Neb., to parents, Meinhardt and Avis, Mr. Christiansen graduated from the local high school, where he played basketball and track and field. He then went on to study architecture at the University of Nebraska before graduating with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in architecture from Yale University School of Architecture in 1970.
During his career which spanned six decades, Mr. Christiansen worked at firms including: Pancoast, Ferindino, Grafton, Skeels (1970-1972); Charles Moore and Associates (1967-1969); Stull Associates (1970-1972); Desmond and Lord (1975-1981); and Shepley, Bulfinch, Richardson and Abbot, where he returned after working previously (1965-1967 and 1972-1975) to work full-time in 1981, until his retirement in 2016. He also generously mentored generations of young architects in this firm.
“We are thankful for all John has contributed to the firm with a portfolio of work that ranged from Mather House at Harvard to the Sterling and Gilmore Music Libraries at Yale, many projects at Illinois Wesleyan, Christopher Newport University, Worcester Trial Court, and the Groton School,” said Shepley Bulfinch President Emeritus Carole Wedge, FAIA. “He leaves a long legacy of friends, colleagues, and designers he has taught and befriended in the course of a career that touched six decades.”
Mr. Christiansen served on the Back Bay Architectural Committee from 1984 -2024. In 2015, he was given the Prindle Award for outstanding service by the Neighborhood Association of the Back Bay.
`In 1970, Mr. Christiansen married his wife, Susan Van Voorhis, at her family home in Newark, Ohio. The couple lived in Boston and went on to have one son, Daniel.
In 2016, Mr. Christiansen retired from Shepley Bulfinch, spending his time between Boston and Kennebunk, Maine, where he rooted for the Red Sox and the Celtics, continued to design and consult on projects for friends and family, mentored students at the Boston Architectural Center, and continued to serve on the Back Bay Architecture Commission. He was also a longtime member of the University Club.
Mr. Christiansen is survived by his wife, Susan; son, Daniel; and brother, Martin. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Friends of the Public Garden in Boston (friendsofthepublicgarden.org/).
To share a memory or leave a message of condolence, please visit John’s Book of Memories Page at www.bibberfuneral.com Arrangements are in the care of Bibber Memorial Chapel, 67 Summer St., Kennebunk, ME 04043.