Ralph Christensen ’49 *54

Ralph died July 15, 2018, just a few months after the death of his wife of 67 years, Pauline “P.C.”

Ralph came to Princeton in 1945 along with his twin brother, Lee. Although Lee left after a year, and died before Ralph, both twins remained on 1949’s rolls for their entire lives. Ralph stayed on, majored in chemistry, and joined Cloister Inn. He played JV football, joined Whig-Clio and Westminster Fellowship, and sang in the Glee Club. After graduation and two years of teaching science in Texas, Ralph earned a master’s degree from Harvard and devoted his entire career to the then-new field of plastics. He worked for Union Carbide and Exxon in polymer processing and retired in Baytown, Texas, in 1992.

Ralph’s many interests in Baytown included tennis, the community advisory panel, the nature center, the Houston Museum of Fine Arts, and countless other community activities. He and Pauline took great pride in their offspring and traveled extensively, including to Denmark, his parents’ native land.

Ralph is survived by his daughter, Amy; son-in-law, Bill Meehan; son, Timothy; daughter-in-law, Melissa; four grandchildren; and one adopted granddaughter.