Carl David Christman

Carl David Christman was a hardworking, self-made man with a love for his family, friends and Billie Holliday.  The middle son of Ken and Elsie Christman, Carl lost a little sister in infancy – but never forgot her.  That dedication to those he loved remained throughout his life.

Looking up to his older brother, and Marine, Kenny Junior, Carl also chose to serve his country and joined the Army.  His only cruise - an Army transport ship – brought him to Germany.  Carl held an instant affinity for the country, and he met and married Ingeborg and found a second family in her family, the Kerls of Wolfratshausen.

Carl also formed lifelong friendships with Martin and Hedi Kubalik of Geretsried and Dieter and Kirsten of Hamburg with many visits on both sides of the ocean.  Most notably, Carl loved to take friends on the Durango-Silverton Train to share the beautiful Southwest he loved.

Carl and Inge returned to Pennsylvania after his tour in Germany.  He worked for Bethlehem Steel for a while, but after the birth of their only child, Roy Kenneth Christman he left the cold of Slatington for the Watermelon Mountains of Albuquerque.

Driven to forge a new beginning for his family, Carl went to work using the home building skills he had learned from his father and grandfather.  He showed up first and left last and persisted in his work – even taking work hundreds of miles away where he would work all week and return home on the weekend.

His hard work ethic slowly built the capital he needed to begin his own company, Duke City Developers.

A gifted builder with an eye for detail that reached back to his German heritage, Carl embraced the architecture of the Southwest.  He envisioned and built homes with vigas, latillas and kiva’s hugging the landscape in the hills of Albuquerque and Placitas.  His talent, demonstrated in his final home and casita in the Casas de Suenos of old town Albuquerque, landed him in the Architectural Digest at the pinnacle of his career.

Duke City Developers built homes in Placitas and throughout Albuquerque.  Carl also took on business contracts and too many kitchen and home remodels to count.  During this busiest time Carl was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  The disease knocked him down, but not out, and he frequented a local health spa to swim and sun.

Carl met one of his longest and most loyal friends Richard ‘Richie’ Brunetto at the spa.  Richie had drawn out plans to update his home and when he found the stove of his dreams, he also found that only a contractor could buy it.  Although Carl’s first response to Richie was that he couldn’t afford him – the two began to work together and formed a friendship that survived until the day Carl passed, and included times when Richie nursed Carl through severe MS attacks.

Carl is survived by his brother, Kenneth Allen Christman Jr.; ex-wives, Ingeborg and Almut Christman; his son and daughter-in-law,  Roy Kenneth and Debra Christman; his grandchildren, Bradley Kenneth and wife Shannon Christman, and Alexis Rae Lisbeth Christman and fiancé Nick Lehman.  He was blessed with many friends and the lasting friendship of Richard and Barbara Polk and his business partner and friend Marc and LeeAnn Cumbow.