CHRISTOPHER PRODUCTIONS - Key Persons

Warren Bernard Christopher was born in Chicago, Illnois on July 17, 1934 to Walhborg Marie Søderling and Warren Leslie Christopher. Warren was nicknamed "Bud" by his family and that is the name he used throughout his life. He had six brothers and sisters (Pete, Lynn, Paul, Lee, Roy, Ava). While living in Chicago Bud spent much time with his maternal grandparents and became quite close to them. His family lived with both the Søderlings on the Southside and the Christophers on the Northside near Wrigley Field. Naturally, growing up in Chicago he was a Bears and Cubs fan. Bud moved with his parents to Tallmadge, Ohio in @1943 to live with his uncle Herb Christopher. Bud was close to his cousins, particularly, Gordon during his teen years through his mid 20s. They both shared a love of cars that was passed down from their grandfather Eric to their fathers, Warren and Herb, and then on to them. Bud and his family moved to Sawyer, Michigan in 1946. He attended New Troy High School and tried out for the basketball team in 1949 and was the sophomore class president in 1950-51. He graduated from New Troy High School in 1953. During his senior year he worked nights at a factory in Michigan City, Indiana. He was hired into Auto Specialities in St. Joseph, Michigan in 1953 where he worked until 1982, he worked in the furnace area eventually became a chemist. Sadly, the company forced the UAW into a strike in 1982 and eventually fired all the members including Bud who was one year from a full pension. Bud married Karen Dayle Ackerman on October 29, 1954 in Harbert, Michigan (click her to see their marriage video). Bud and Karen had five children (Dayle, Warren aka Bernie, Laurence, James aka Jim, and Robin). They moved their family to 1010 Broad Street, St. Joseph, Michigan in 1963. Bud separated from Karen in 1974 and moved around the Twin Cities during the next 27 years. He divorced Karen and married Jane Scott in May 1980, they were divorced within a few years @1983? Bud worked as a store manager at ARCO in St. Joseph and various other jobs, including factories until his retirement. He died from a heart attack in 2001 at his home in Benton Heights, Michigan after struggling with diabetes and a heart condition for several years.