Dennis
Christensen, MD
Mobile in a motor home
since April 2001
Home
237 Jumping Springs PL
Henderson, NV 89012
415-637-7015
Email:
Sigmund444@aol.com
June - 2002 EMail: I really don't know where any of our classmates are. I will be more than willing to come to a meeting with them. I attended the 1983 reunion and enjoyed a lot. Keep me informed.
Oct - 2002 - I will send some PICS soon. I have been traveling in a Discovery Motor Home for the past 10 months, seeing the country and enjoying myself. Right now I am in Isle Of Palm, SC parked in my oldest sons beach side property while he is in Utah at the Olympics. By the way I have two sons that live in Henderson, NV and have been there several times the past 10 months. Next time there I will sure look you up and share my experiences with you. Chris/Dennis W. Christensen/Bear
July 2003 - Jerry, sorry this took so long. you know the problems I have been having and my fingers just do not fit my lap top keys. I will keep this short and add Pictures to it if I can find them on my computer!
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At the time of our 25th reunion I was in the
USAF and stationed at David Grant Medical Center, Travis Air Force Base in
Fairfield, CA. I was Chairman of the Department of Mental health.
I retired from the Air Force on 1/1/80 and Moved to Asheville, NC and worked
at a private psychiatric hospital where I started "Woodhill", an inpatient
alcohol and drug (A & D) treatment center. I was there for about three and one
half years and then moved to Myrtle Beach, SC. I was hired by a major
psychiatric corporation to open a new psychiatric hospital in Conway, SC (about
10 miles inland from the beach) with an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment
program occupying 40 of the 100 total beds. I was initially Director of
the A &D program and staff psychiatrist but a few years later I was elected as
Director of the hospital. I also opened my own out patient psychiatric
treatment facility near the hospital in Conway, SC.
As my practice grew, I open another out patient office in Myrtle Beach and
later on another office in Charleston, SC. In late 80's I was over worked
and patient admissions to the hospital and collections became very burdensome as
a result of managed care's control. I decided to close my practice and
move back to California.
We moved back to Fairfield, CA and in 1992 I started work at California
Medical Facility (CMF) in Vacaville, CA. (a 10 mile drive) as a Staff
Psychiatrist working in an Out Patient Program (OPP). CMF was a California State
Prison which housed most of the mentally ill inmates. We had 800 inmates
in our outpatient program involved in one of 12 distinct treatment programs in
order to deal with the appropriate levels of care and the custody
classification.
After one year I was appointed a Senior Supervising Psychiatrist (one of
two). We both supervised 6 treatment teams. This was a very
challenging job, treating mentally ill inmates who also had a severe antisocial
personality disorder. Most were dangerous, with no conscience, nor wanted
treatment!
CMF also housed an inpatient hospital (DMA) contracted by the Department of
Mental Health as opposed to Department of Corrections that the OPP worked for.
Between the two programs there were 25 Psychiatrists, 44 Psychologists, 60
Social Workers and many other supporting personnel.
After 8 years I decided to retire and take a break from working. I was
65 years old and had wanted to travel around the country, spend some time with
each of my 6 adult children and other friends I had within the US.
As you can tell, my jobs were great and interesting. I wished I could
say the same for my relationships with women. My first wife and I were married
for almost 20 years and she is the mother of all of my 6 children. I
remarried an attorney when I moved to Asheville, but lived together for only 1
1/2 years of 4 year marriage. Having not learned my lessons in marital
relationships I married my third wife (psychologist) after I started my practice
in Myrtle Beach. Our marriage became dysfunctional after several years.
After moving back to California it became apparent to me that our marriage was
unhealthy for both of us. We had a congenial divorce in March, 2001.
She stayed on Treasure Island (closed Naval base off the bridge between
Oakland and San Francisco) and I moved into my 1988 Leisurecraft motor home with
everything I needed (including a 6 mo. old Siamese chocolate point kitten)
Click on pictures to enlarge
and headed out for Las Vegas (Circus Circus RV Park). My
two youngest sons lived in Henderson and while there I traded in the old RV for
a three year old Discovery Fleetwood motor home. It was like trading a 1953 Ford
for a 2000 Mercedes Benz.
I then went to Midway, UT and parked in my second oldest (Sherri) daughters
yard. I remained there visiting with her and her husband and 3 children
for 4 weeks. Then went to Draper, UT and again parked in my oldest daughters
(Summer) yard
and visited with her and her family. She had 4 children with her
previous husband and married a man with 4 boys and they had one more child
together. Also my youngest daughter (Valerie) lived in Provo (single) and I
spent some time with her.
I wont go into so much detail about the rest of my 2 years 4 mo. 33,000 mile
adventure but will hit the highlights.
Next I drove to Sterling, CO and spent some time with my Brother-in-law. My
only sister had died about 6 months before. I then headed for Texas where an old
friend (Jim) from my early military years lives on Treasure Island, McQueeney,
TX (40 miles east of San Antonio). While there I contacted an old friend from
Asheville, NC who was closing his real estate business and moving to
Jacksonville, FL. We made arrangements for me to pick him up and travel with me
to the Florida Keys.
I stayed with Jim for about 6 weeks (parked on his lawn) and then headed for
the East coast. My oldest son (Todd) lived on Isle of Palm, SC just outside of
Charleston. He owned a home on the beach with a private boardwalk to the beach,
a sail boat, and all the other beach type hardware that provides fun
entertainment.
I stayed with him (parked in his street side yard)
for 2 months and then he went with me to Panama City Florida
where he was born. We stayed at Tyndall AFB (where I was assigned as a Flight
Surgeon from 1961-1964) Family RV Park (Famcamp) . We found the first house that
I owned where he lived the first couple years of his life. We also took
advantage of the Panama City beaches for few days then he flew back to
Charleston, SC and I headed out for Jacksonville, FL to pick up my friend
(Bruce).
We stayed in RV Parks in Orlando, Dayton Beach and the Miami Everglades.
while there Bruce wanted to trade in my RV for this one.
While in the everglades we traveled to South Miami Beach
where we took in the sights and went back for the night life scene a couple of
nights. We then headed out for Key West and signed in at the Naval Air Station
RV Park. We did the "Key west thing" for 14 days (deep sea fishing, toured the
city in a horse drawn cart, eating at some of the best restaurants that I have
been to (especially sea food), and just hanging out with the other tourists. We
then drove up the West coast to Tampa, Clear Water, and St. Petersburg and spent
some time in each city. Then we went north east to Jacksonville where I dropped
off Bruce and a couple of days later (12/31/01) I was back on Isle of Palm, SC
at my sons place where I stayed for 2 months. The beach was wonderful as was
hanging out in Charleston, SC. Todd went to the Winter Olympics in Utah and I
took care of his great and beautiful beach house.
From there I went to Myrtle Beach, SC and stayed Ocean Lakes RV Resort (on
the beach) I enjoyed seeing lots of my old friends, and just doing the beach
scene. I then headed for the West coast, stooping in Asheville, NC, Nashville,
TN, Little Rock, AK Dallas/Fort Worth, Odessa, TX and back to El Paso (Fort
Bliss RV Park) and enjoyed crossing the border into Juarez, Mexico and touring
the area. I bought some souvenirs and 4 days later headed back to Las
Vegas, Circus Circus RV Park and visited my two sons and families again. Four
weeks later I headed out for San Francisco and parked at Travis RV Park in
Fairfield CA.
I spent the nest 6 weeks visiting with friends in SF and my former wife on
Treasure Island. From there I traveled to the East coast and back two more times
and spent time with all my kids and fiends as I did on my first round trip
journey. I am now in Draper, UT with Summer, and before the reunion will go
visit with my brother-in-law in Sterling, CO. then back to the Orem Area to stay
with Sherri until the reunion.
Todd moved from Isle of Palms to North Las Vegas, not to far from Jerry
Loveless and he lives in a beautiful house and is planning on getting married
this fall.
This past 2 1/2 years have been very interesting. Besides spending more time
with my kids than I have over the past 30 years, I have been through the entire
US southern coast with some ventures to the mid north. I have traveled 33,000
miles, Camped in 48 RV Parks, and have made lots of friends from all over the
US and Canada