Phyllis Charlene "Char" Christiaens

On Wednesday, August 30, 2023, Phyllis Charlene “Char” Christiaens quietly passed from this world into the loving embrace of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the presence of her family and friends.

Char was born on August 23, 1954, in Conrad, MT to her parents Edman and Maxine Ashworth who preceded her in death.

She is survived by her husband, Allyn Christiaens, son, Nathan Christiaens, and daughter, Sheena (Tyler) Annala, all of Great Falls; brothers, Phil McLachlan of Calgary, AB and Fred (Tiny) McLachlan of Kalispell; sisters, Peggy (Gene) Nordeen of Spokane, WA and Udeen (Lee) Barrows of Great Falls. She is also survived by her greatest joys, grandchildren, Parker, Sophie, Riley, and Cole Annala; as well as numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Char was raised in Sunburst, MT and married Allyn Christiaens in 1977 after earning her BS in Nursing from Montana State University. She worked as an ICU Registered Nurse for several years at Columbus Hospital in Great Falls before becoming a Nursing Instructor at Northern Montana College. In 1991, she became a Clinical Nurse Specialist after earning her MS in Nursing from Montana State University, working in patient education, and as a CCU/CICU manager at Benefis Healthcare in Great Falls. In 2009, Char worked for VA Montana at Fort Harrison managing their community based outreach clinics and telemedicine program. She retired in 2018.

Known for her faith, compassion, and grace, Char will be greatly missed by her many family, friends, and fellow nurses.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 7, 2023, at Victory Church, 3001 13th St S, Great Falls.  Internment will be at a future date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Char’s name may be made to preborn.com; ourrescue.org; or a charity of the donor’s choice.