EN35 June 2015   Website     Newsletter coverpage

   The TOS salutes Henning Christensen

From The Song Celestial

Never the spirit was born; the spirit shall cease to be never;

Never was time it was not; end and beginning are dreams!

Birthless and deathless and changeless remaineth the spirit forever.

Death hath not touched it at all, dead though the house of it seems!

Sir Edwin Arnold

Born on April 4, 1939 in Denmark, Henning immigrated to Canada at the age of 18. After a stint working in the uranium mine at Elliot Lake, Ontario, Henning ventured westward – eventually to the Yukon – where he found employment in a silver mine near Dawson City.  For a time he was also part of the work crew that built the Jasper Highway in Alberta.  Henning saved his hard-earned money in order to go to the New York Institute of Photography where he graduated with a diploma in photography.  

After returning to Canada, Henning went on to become a health care worker in several hospitals, eventually becoming employed in the Calgary General Hospital where he worked for 31 years as a medical photographer. 

Henning lived a full and well-rounded life.  He was a devoted husband and father of four.  In his spare time, he gave many hours to volunteer work in helping the poor and needy through the St Vincent de Paul Society.  He also volunteered to help immigrant children get involved in sports through the Calgary Football Hockey Link, a non-profit organisation committed to supporting the integration of culturally diverse children and youth into Canadian society.

Henning’s love for learning was a constant throughout his life.  He was a prolific reader and attended many university courses, lectures and workshops.  At the ripe age of 71 he graduated with a bachelor’s degree from St Mary’s University in Calgary.

Dear Henning,

We hold Lorraine and you in our hearts, visualising you at your happiest – out in nature such as here in Banff National Park. We know that your expeditions to the mountains together were like pilgrimages, elevating you spiritually and strengthening you for the Work. We wish you peace on your onward journey.

Henning loved hiking and getting out in nature.  Portraiture and nature photography were special passions. 
Some of his works have been displayed in galleries and public institutions.

The spiritual path was one that Henning earnestly embarked on from earliest days.  He was a serious seeker and true inquirer in the Theosophical tradition, always delving into the mysteries of existence.  Meditation and philosophy, both oriental and occidental, were of special interest.  For many years he was active in interfaith dialogue, to build bridges of understanding among those of various faiths.  His absorption in these interests led to his finding a home in the Theosophical Society.  In 1999, he formally joined the Society.

Henning was not only a student of Theosophy, but actively involved in serving the Theosophical Society.  For seven years (from 2003 to 2010) he held the position of local lodge librarian and archivist.  From 1996 to 2010, Henning helped to organise and host over 300 Theosophical meetings.

In 2003, Henning played a key role in reactivating the Theosophical Order of Service in Canada, along with two other Canadian Theosophical Association (CTA) members.  He faithfully served on the TOS in Canada Administrative Committee for eleven years, and helped facilitate many TOS initiatives. 

For the years of 2006, 2007 and 2008, Henning served on the National Board of the CTA.  During that time, he also served on the CTA Finance Committee.  Between the years of 2000 to 2009, Henning attended, and took an active part in, seven out of nine CTA conventions in the cities of Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.  He played a key role in organising conventions for the years of 2004 and 2008 in Calgary and 2009 in Vancouver.

Henning was a founding member of Veritas Study Centre of the TS in Calgary, when it was formed in June 2011.  From 2011 to 2014, he played an active role and never missed a meeting, even though he was suffering from a serious illness.

To honour Henning’s memory, Veritas Study Centre held a Theosophical Remembrance Gathering in Calgary in May of 2015.