Glenn Edward McChristian's Obituary
Glenn E. McChristian, age 84, of Fayetteville died Tuesday January 22, 2013. He was born December 6, 1928 in Fayetteville, Arkansas to Thomas Lester and Lettie Mae McChristian. He was a member and deacon of Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fayetteville and was a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army. He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife Josephine, his second wife Catherine and his brother Jim Bill (JB).
He is survived by two daughters, Margery Shore and her husband John of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Susan Haney and her husband Bruce of Greenland, Arkansas; son, Thomas E. McChristian and his wife Lisa of Lincoln, Nebraska; step daughter, Pamela Bryant of Lavaca, Arkansas; step son James W. Lewallen Jr., Arkansas; one brother, Lester McChristian and his wife Monte of California; five grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Glenn graduated Fayetteville High School in 1945. He attended classes at the U of A before entering the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated near the top of his class in 1951 with a Bachelor of Science degree in military engineering. While still in the military, he earned a Master’s Degree in civil engineering with a minor in nuclear engineering in 1959 from North Carolina State University.
Tours of duty included several starting in 1951 were Ft. Belvoir, VA, Okinawa, Japan, Ft. Gulick, Panama Canal Zone, Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri, a tour in Korea, two tours in Vietnam and two tours at the Pentagon. In Indiana he was appointed project manager for the Lunar Exploration Systems for Apollo (LESA) for NASA, He was a member of the Society of Engineers, life member of the VFW 2952 in which he served several administrative roles.
He was a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster) in 1966, The Legion of Merit (First Oak Leaf Cluster) in 1971, Meritorious Service Medal in 1972, The Bronze Star Medal (Second Oak Leaf Cluster) in 1973, the Legion of Merit (Second Oak Leaf Cluster) in 1979. The Vietnam government awarded him the Armed Forces Honor Medal 1st Class 1972 and the Technical Service Medal 1st Class. After retirement in 1979, he moved to Rahway, New Jersey where he was maintenance director of Rahway Medical Center. He returned to his home town of Fayetteville, Arkansas where he was a substitute teacher for advanced math classes at area high schools, became active in church, married and joined the VFW.
Visitation will be 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Friday, January 25 at Moore’s Chapel. Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m., Saturday, at Rolling Hills Baptist Church in Fayetteville with burial to follow with full military honors at Fairview Memorial Gardens under the direction of Moore’s Chapel in Fayetteville.
Memorial contributions may be made to: VFW Post 2952, 1006 N. Thompson St., Springdale, AR 72764-3106 or Rolling Hills Baptist Church, 1400 Rolling Hills Dr., Fayetteville, AR 72703.
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