Van
Sotir Christo, Honorary Consul of Albania, passed away at home on January 21,
2020.
Van was born in Korce Albania in1927, and brought to America at the age of one
year. His parents, Frosina (née Naum) and Spiro Christo settled in the Roxbury
Crossing section of Boston. Barely able to speak English, Christo was enrolled
in kindergarten in Roxbury, where he progressed rapidly. Some of his fondest
memories were of his time in grade school, where he served as an Officer in
Military Drill, Captain of the Color Guard, Captain of the Band, and First
Trumpet player in the school orchestra.
In 1944, as a senior at Jamaica Plain High School, Van – stirred to action by
America’s ongoing involvement in World War II — joined the United States Navy.
As many brave members of our armed services did during this period, he lied
about his age and was admitted at 16 years old. He served as Petty Officer on
board the destroyer-escort U.S.S. Chaffee, DE 230, in the Pacific for almost
one year and a half. When he arrived on the Chaffee on December 1944, he was a
member of the deck crew.
In January, 1945, the Chaffee was struck in the bow by a Japanese torpedo
intended for the battleship U.S.S. Pennsylvania, BB38. For this heroic action,
the Chaffee crew was awarded the Philippine Liberation Medal with Bronze Star.
He was discharged in February 1946 as Quartermaster Third Class in February
1946. He was 18 years old.
Christo is a Founding Member and Commander Emeritus of the Albanian American
War Veterans of the United States (AAWV) in Massachusetts.
From 1962 to 1994, Van formed Van Christo Advertising, a firm that earned
dozens of creative and other awards including two CLIO awards and two
International Broadcasting Awards.
In 1994, Van formed the Frosina Information Network – named after his mother –
as a non-profit Albanian immigrant and cultural resource to provide counsel and
other services to the new Albanian arrivals. Christo was appointed to the
Massachusetts Governor’s Advisory Council on Refugees and Immigrants by
Governors Weld, Cellucci, and Swift. Van has authored many articles about
Albania and the Albanian people, and served as collaborator and co-publisher of
the book Rescue in Albania by Harvey Sarner, which depicted Albania’s heroic
salvation of Jews escaping from Nazi occupied countries during WWII.
In 2012, Van Christo, was awarded the Order of Mother Teresa Medal from
Albanian President Bamir Topi for aiding Albanian immigrants arriving in
America and for calling attention to the plight of Kosovar Albanians under a
repressive Serbian regime.
In January, 2015, Christo was appointed Honorary Consul of Albania in
Massachusetts by Albania Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati.
Van is survived by his wife Jane, children Jeffrey, Pira, Tana, and Zachary;
his granddaughters Laura, Anna, Gabrielle, and Alexandra; and his
great-granddaughters Elinor and Penelope.
Van was an artist, writer, businessman, diplomat, singer, solider, radio
producer, world traveler, husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather
extraordinaire. A larger-than-life man who was loved by many and who will be
missed by all who knew him.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Bigelow Chapel, Mt. Auburn Cemetery,
on Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 1pm.
In lieu of Flowers please contribute to one of Van’s favorite charities,
Habitat for Humanity or Doctors Without Borders.
