Robert Milton Christie

Robert Milton (“Bob,” “Bobby,” “Chris”) Christie, 93, passed away peacefully on February 1, 2025 at the independent living facility Holiday Woods at Canco in Portland, Maine, with family at his side. Bob was born January 1, 1932 in Ellsworth Falls, Maine, the youngest of four children, to parents George Wilson Christie and Blanche Marie (McFarland) Christie. He graduated from Ellsworth High School in 1949, and later from Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education in 1943, then a Masters degree in Recreation and Camping in 1957. He obtained a PhD in Education and Administration from Southern Illinois University in 1971. Bob served in the Marine Reserves as an officer in training and later in the Army in the U.S. Special Services at Ft. Meade. In 1977 ‘Chris Christie’ was a cofounder along with famous mountaineer Paul Petzolds, Dr. Frank Lupton, and Charles Gregory of the Wilderness Education Association. At that time, many outdoor professionals believed that leadership was an innate trait; WEA’s ground-breaking curriculum demonstrated that it was, in fact, a teachable skill set, revolutionizing the field of outdoor leadership. Bob remained an active and contributing member of the organization throughout his life including attending the WEA 35th International Conference on Outdoor Leadership in 2024 at the age of 92 (where he enjoyed ‘rock star’ status according to his daughter Deb and granddaughter Megan who accompanied him). Bob lived the life of a professional adventurer and champion of the great outdoors. Despite having been born in the midst of the Depression and raised during World War II, Bob had a happy, enchanted childhood. The son of a Scottish immigrant father – and mother also of Scottish descent – he filled his early days fishing, hunting, catching snakes, foraging wild nuts and berries, and fulfilling the duties of a dedicated Boy Scout (even making the pages of the Ellsworth American as the “Boy Scout” who saved his dog from drowning in the cold waters of Leonard Lake when she fell through the ice). Bob had an insatiable appetite for experiencing the world and engaging with people. Due to his vivacious and silly nature, there are simply too many stories to recount. Many of the best, however, feature his late wife, Carolyn May (Greene) Christie, including their first interactions at Camp Oak Hill, a camp for disabled children in Connecticut where they worked as counselors in the ‘50s. These early events include Bob eating a bowl of earthworms Carol had dug up for his dessert; the application by Carol of ointment to Bob’s sunburn, a cream that was so old it made him scream and disintegrated the leather knife sheath he used as an instrument to slap against the pain; and Carol’s first words to Bob: “Who the hell are you?” They were swiftly inseparable, married, and off adventuring with three little girls. First as a grade school Physical Education teacher, then as a professor of Outdoor Recreation (and always a Boy Scout), Bob and his family lived in many places across the U.S., where he taught his students lessons in botany, astronomy, wildlife, and geology. Cooking in the outdoors was also a passion – Bob could turn a 50 gallon oil drum into an outdoor oven and make a cake out of a hole in the ground. Bob expected his students to embody responsibility and cooperation, which included gathering their own firewood, picking berries for pies, identifying edible plants, and constructing shelters. He was admired and remembered by those he taught. After professional stints setting up Outdoor Recreation programs for universities in Illinois, Minnesota, and Indiana, Bob and Carol made their way north to Thunder Bay, Ontario where he worked as a professor at Lakehead University. The adventures continued with family, students, and friends: canoeing whitewater rapids, cutting cross country ski trails, and moose hunting (Bob was an expert moose caller, of course). There were grandchildren by now, who remember trips to the big cedar house Bob and Carol built in Kaministiquia (a.k.a. “the hood”), making homemade ice cream with a hand-crank churn, picking wild berries and veggies from the garden, and staying up late around the neighborhood bonfires. The fun never ended. Bob lived an inspiring life and often said he had no regrets. He leaves the world a richer place in the minds and memories of those who have known and loved him. Bob is survived by three daughters Jeanne Christie (Larry), Deborah Moulton, and Roberta Christie (Carey); grandchildren Robert Gunnar Moulton (Sarah), Megan Furtado (Chris), Jenny Christie (David), Robby Krajewski; nephews Andrew Christie (Elise) and Ted Christie (Deb) ; and one great-grandchild. Bob was predeceased by his wife, Carol, who passed away in 2022. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in memory of Chris Christie to the Wilderness Education Association https://www.weainfo.org/give

Robert Milton Christie

January 1, 1932 - February 1, 2025

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