Margaret Mary Christensen, nee Pirozzi, left this earth Friday, January 20, 2023, to be reunited with her heavenly family. She transitioned peacefully from Independence Manor.

Born at home on September 14, 1926, in Manville, NJ, she was the fourth child and first daughter born to Mario and Rose (Terraciano) Pirozzi. In 1928, the family moved back to Italy and stayed for five years, until it was clear that the war was coming and they needed to get back to the States.

Margaret was always her own woman. She left high school to go to Drake School of Business,  where she excelled at secretarial skills. It was these skills that landed her at Philco in New York. She was using her wages to pay for modeling school at night and landed print jobs as well as shoe modeling. Soon, a very handsome Danish young man would sit across from her. Kai Christensen was in the US on a work visa. No one in the office knew they were dating and two months later when she walked in with an engagement ring many women went home sick – or so the story goes. They married within weeks and set sail for Denmark, where they would reside for two years before coming back eventually settling in Bridgewater, where they raised their family.

Not having a college education but always forging into unknown territory, Margaret convinced the nuns at St. Brigid in Peapack that she could teach sewing and then went on to a career as a Home Economics, Typing and Italian teacher at Immaculate High School in Somerville and St. Pius X in Piscataway. She was self-taught in sewing, knitting and weaving. She made all her own clothes and that of Lisa, her daughter. She sewed Lisa’s wedding dress from a picture. All her creations were perfect and made with love.

The travel bug bit Kai and Margaret pretty hard and in 1987, they moved to Idaho where they spent 25 years in blissful retirement traveling to 39 countries. While in Idaho, Margaret volunteered at St. Luke’s Hospital where she organized jewelry shows as a hospital fundraiser and instituted a group to knit baby hats and lap robes for patients.

After 63 years of marriage, her beloved Great Dane, Kai, passed in December 2011, and she once again packed up and moved back to NJ.

Never without her rosary beads, her grandchildren knew that Nana had a hotline to heaven. She and St. Anthony were on a first name basis, as he was always being called upon to find something.

Besides her parents, she is pre-deceased by three brothers, Frank, Arnold, Joe and a sister, Alba.

Margaret is survived by her daughter, Lisa Spencer (Howard) of Holland Township, NJ, her son, Rich Christensen (Kate) of Coeur d’Alene, ID, her grandchildren, Ashley Spencer (Greg Marcus), Howard E. Spencer V (Heather) of Kingwood Township, Jessica Christensen (Behan Duvenhage) of Rathdrum, ID, Travis Christensen (Kendra) of Mount Vernon, WA, Isaac Christensen (Aitana Vernon) of CA and 7 great-grandchildren with one on the way, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Martin of Tours Church, 1 Riverstone Circle, New Hope, PA 18938. Please DO NOT WEAR BLACK. Margaret loved colors as well as textures and fabrics. She never wanted to wear black. Everyone is asked to meet directly at the church on Saturday morning beginning at 10:30 a.m., where the family will greet you for a short visitation before the mass.

Life celebration arrangements are under the care and direction of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ.

You are encouraged to visit Margaret’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of her life.

Memorial contributions in her honor and memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, via mail to Memorial Giving, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or online by clicking HERE. Margaret loved the children of St. Jude and gave generously.

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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