Christian John Rahnke

Beloved father and grandfather, Christian J. Rahnke, age 90, passed away Saturday May 26, 2018 with his children by his side. He was born on June 5, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan to Christian F. and Lillian Rahnke.

Christian grew up in Detroit. He was the son of a German immigrant and developed a love of boating by helping his father build boats. Christian joined the Army in 1945 and served in Belgium and Germany. After his discharge in 1947, he attended Wayne State University in Detroit and graduated in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. He then earned a Masters of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University in 1954 while working for Westinghouse. Christian Rahnke had a long and distinguished career in automotive engineering. He worked for Studebaker Packard for several years and then for Ford Motor Company for almost 30 years. While in research at Ford, he received numerous patents for automotive part designs.

Christian married Barbara Joan Cranmer in 1957 and they were married for 50 years until her death in 2007. The Rahnke family lived in West Bloomfield Michigan while Christian was working for Ford. Christian was an avid sailor and owned several sailboats over the years, starting with one he built in his garage. After his retirement in 1988, Chris and Joan split their time between West Bloomfield, Michigan and Fort Myers Beach, Florida. They enjoyed sailing on Michigan lakes and along the coast of Florida with friends and family. They traveled extensively across the United States and Europe and loved visiting new places. Christian was a runner who participated in 5K and 10K runs into his seventies. With the arrival of grandchildren, Christian and Joan established a home in Georgetown Texas to be closer to their family. Christian was a member of St. Helen Catholic Church in Georgetown Texas for many years. Christian will be remembered for his ethics, decency, compassion and positive outlook on life. He was a wonderful father and Papa, mentor, role model and friend to all.

Christian is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Lois Chlipala, and his wife Barbara Joan Cranmer Rahnke. He is survived by daughter Lynn Rahnke Moore and husband Tim of Houston Texas; and son Christian M. Rahnke and wife Judee of Arlington Texas; and granddaughters Emily Moore, Sophia Rahnke, and Hannah Rahnke. A Memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Monday June 4 at the Klein Funeral Home, 16131 Champion Forest Drive, Klein, TX 77379.