Christian Hartleben ’92

Unburdened by fear or the myth of an afterlife, Chris died peacefully Feb. 4, 2026, after a decades-long illness. He was in relatively no pain, and he drifted off listening to Simon & Garfunkel as they called him home. 

Chris was a visual arts major at Princeton and was active in 2D. He regretted that his illness kept him from completing his degree (unable to finish his thesis, he was not given a diploma). He often wondered what his life might have been like if things had gone differently. 

Chris was a big Twin Peaks fan; he made many friends, and met his life partner, Karen Addison Craig, through the online community of fans. He was an administrator for a large Twin Peaks Facebook group and treasured the teachings of Fred Rogers and Sesame Street, well into his adult life. Chris wept often for the world and always wished for a Star Trek-like future for humanity. He had a large collection of films and music and solved every New York Times crossword since his Princeton days. 

Chris is survived by his partner, Karen; her son, Jack; his parents, Margaret Hager and Hans-Henning Hartleben; and his sister, Lara Addiego, and her family.