Christine "Chris" Sofia Williamson

CHRISTINE SOFIA WILLIAMSON

August 31, 1949 - June 9, 2024

Christine “Chris” Williamson, 74, of Portland, Oregon passed away peacefully in Beaverton, Oregon on June 9, 2024 after a long battle with dementia. Christine was born on August 31, 1949 to Joseph and Sophia Olejniczak in Reckenfeld (Greven), Germany. About two years later the family was sponsored by a New York farmer and immigrated to America where they moved to New York state and then later to Danbury, Connecticut where her father worked in construction.

Christine graduated from St. Peters Catholic School and Danbury High School. After graduation she worked at the New York Bakery and attended Western Connecticut University in Danbury, Connecticut. She graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Elementary Education and was an honor student who had a passion for learning.

On September 24, 1976, Christine married Alonzo Williamson. They moved from Brookfield, Connecticut to Corvallis, Oregon where she worked at Oregon State University in the Register’s Office doing Accounting. She really liked working there and taking advanced classes.

Christine was a strong active Catholic that always attended mass every Saturday at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Tigard, Oregon. She was the type of person who loved to help others and routinely put others before herself. She strongly believed in giving blood and was a two-gallon blood donor to the Red Cross. She enjoyed doing cross word puzzles, cross stitch sewing, embroidery sewing (pictures), knitting, and was really good at doing math problems in her head. Christine was known locally as the bike lady and walker since she walked and rode her bike everyday. Even when it was raining she would ride up to ten or fifteen miles a day and she would ride so much that she would eventually even wear down the drive sprocket on her bike. She also loved to walk everyday and would walk two to four miles everyday whether it was rain or shine. When she sold her van she liked to say she would get around on the shoe leather express. Christine inspired many in her community and family to have a more active lifestyle.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Sophia Olejniczak, sister Cathleen Olejniczak, and brother-in-law Allan Isbell.

Christine is survived by her husband Alonzo Williamson, her children Thomas Williamson and Amanda Fitt, son-in-law David Fitt and granddaughter Hailey Fitt, brother-in-law Greg (Toni) Williamson and niece AmyAnn Williamson. Three brothers: Joseph (Barbara) Olejniczak, David (Wendy) Olejniczak, Thomas (Jill) Olejniczak. And two sisters: Wanda Isbell and Joanne (Bruce) Blanchard. She is also survived by her nieces and nephews, Jared, Krystyna, Robert, Susan, Katie, Jessica, David Jr., Deanna, and Zosia.