Glen Christensen

GLEN ALEN ZOU CHRISTENSEN, age 66 of Westerville, Ohio, died January 22, 2021, of natural causes. Glen was born March 4, 1954, in Racine, Wisconsin, the oldest child of David Neil Christensen and Lila Mae (Dehring) Christensen. Glen graduated from J.I. Case High School in Racine in 1972. He received his undergraduate degree in Fine Arts from Goddard College in Vermont, and later went on to graduate school at the George Lucas Film School at the University of Southern California. He met his beloved wife, Penny Reinhart, in California and they were married September 1, 1991, at her childhood home south of McVille, North Dakota. On April 18, 1992, Glen was injured in an automobile accident which left him a paraplegic. Undeterred, he went on to become a successful filmmaker/videographer, Hollywood script doctor, author and Lutheran lay minister. Glen and Penny eventually relocated from California to Waupaca, Wisconsin, and later to Westerville, Ohio. Glen was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Westerville.

From an early age Glen’s life was one of dedication and service to those around him. Among his many achievements in life was discovering and being recognized for contributing to a corrected version of a science concept published in Encyclopedia Britannica which occurred during his fifth-grade year at Bartlett Elementary School in Racine. In Junior High, he won a knowledge of the Bible competition at Mt. Pleasant Lutheran Church where he was awarded a week of camp at Pine Lake- later in life Glen worked at Pine Lake and Fortune Lake and sensed God’s call to be a lay minister through the use of film and videos. During his High School years, Glen was very active in his school’s choral music program, dramatic arts department and served in a model United Nations program. He also served as class president at Case High School, was active in social outreach services with his church pastor, volunteered for a suicide hotline, became an activist for human rights and led many protests in southeastern Wisconsin against the Vietnam War. He directed and produced the play Jesus Christ Superstar.

After high school Glen entered a lifelong friendship and mentorship with Dr. Antonia Brico, conductor of the Denver Symphony Orchestra. The late Dr. Brico instilled in Glen the phrase “never be deflected from your path”, which served as a guiding principle throughout his life. Glen also pursued a passion for music, self-learning the guitar, five-string banjo and piano. He became a prolific songwriter, poet and artist. During his college years, he helped form and toured with the band “The Hiking Minstrels of Many Waters” aka “Many Waters,” with friends Ron Broomell, Ann Broomell and Armin Rhode, which was based out of Nicolet College in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. The troupe performed throughout the north shore of Minnesota, north woods of Wisconsin, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, through Canada culminating in New Brunswick at a coffeehouse in St. John. In 2017 Glen completed work on his opus novel “The Puzzle Factory”. Glen had an avid interest in theoretical physics and authored many papers on the subject. He was a member of Mensa, the oldest and largest high IQ society in the world.

One of Glen’s most notable characteristics was his lifelong empathy and compassion toward others. He possessed a gift for showing others their value and potential as human beings. He was kind and a positive inspiration to countless individuals during his lifetime and was quick to call out injustice and wrongdoing when he saw it. He was a brave and courageous advocate for those being treated unfairly or unjustly.

Glen is survived by his wife, Penny Reinhart Christensen, Westerville Ohio. He is also survived by brothers Gary Christensen, Salt Lake City, UT; Edward Christensen, Racine, WI; and Robert (Janice) Christensen, Kenosha, WI; Aunts Violet Manderfield and Margie Lavine; Brothers and Sisters in-law Charlotte Anderson, Sandy (Jerome) Thompsons, Gene (Linda) Reinhart, and Roger (Susan) Reinhart; Nieces and nephews Jacob, Melissa and Nick Christensen, Brandi Derks, Samantha Geng, Julie Bingbing and David Zou, Melissa Kornkven, Amy Reinhart, Katie Tastad, Annie Kuthart, Carrie Voightman and Jarod Anderson; and Godson Sam Geier. He also leaves behind countless cousins and friends.

Glen was preceded in death by his parents David and Lila Christensen, aunts Johanna Stocker and Marie Knudson, uncles Alan and Kenneth Christensen, and sister-in-law Dr. Shuping Wang. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will not be a funeral service, but when it is safe there will be a celebration of Glen’s life with an internment of ashes at Norway Lutheran Cemetery near McVille, ND, and a celebration in Racine, WI. The family has requested no flowers. Memorial donations may be given to Lutheran Outdoor Ministries in Ohio (LOMO), Crossways Camping Ministries (Pine Lake) Wisconsin, or Fortune Lake Lutheran Camp Michigan.