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C.J. List was born August 5, 1916 in Passaic, New Jersey, of Holland Dutch ancestry, He had one sister, Betty. The family moved to Southern California when he was 4 yrs. old, settling in Pasadena. He was educated in the Pasadena City Schools and Biola Bible Institute of Los Angeles.
Due to the illness of his father, in 1938, he was forced to leave college and take over the family wholesale distributing business. Attending Biola college night school was a great joy and ‘kept his hand’ in with studying as he expected to return to college as soon as possible. In 1942 World War II obliged him to sell the business and join the US Navy.
In 1943 he married “the little girl he had watched grow up” at Bethany Church in Sierra Madre, Bettie Lou Lacy. They had four children: Richard, Randall, Robert, and Carolyn.
After discharge from the Navy in 1945 CJ trained as a stockbroker with Hill Richards & Co. in the Pasadena office. He later joined E F Hutton & Co. in Los Angeles, transferring to the San Jose office in 1955, and living in Los Altos Hills.
CJ, and the whole family, were always actively involved in the local church and in activities geared for training young people in how to serve God. While living in Southern California, he and his family were active members of Bethany Church, an interdenominational Bible teaching church. CJ faithfully attended the youth group, CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR, the first interdenominational program for training Christian young people. In 1954 he became president of the Los Angeles County Christian Endeavor Union, the year culminating with a three day conference at the Church of the Open Door in downtown Los Angeles. This was attended by over 3000 young people from churches of many denominations throughout the county.
In 1956, after having transferred to the San Jose office of E.F. Hutton, CJ and family moved to their new home in Los Altos Hills. The three boys loved living in the hills and hiked all over the area. CJ maintained his interest in programs for youth, and was on the board of YOUTH FOR CHRIST. He was also on the board of the San Jose Rescue Mission which has through the years expanded its ministry to help all those in need. Now known as CITY TEAM, it specializes in providing ‘Rehab’ opportunities to those who are willing to try. CJ was one of the ‘founding fathers’ of VALLEY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL in San Jose. Daughter, Carolyn, was valedictorian of the first graduating class in 1970.
The family were early members of PENINSULA BIBLE CHURCH in Palo Alto and then moved to VALLEY BIBLE CHURCH when it was founded in Sunnyvale - before moving into permanent quarters in Cupertino.
Travel was always an activity enjoyed by the whole family. In 1966 the family went to Europe for the summer, traveling in a camper, they crisscrossed the continent, ferried to Norway and back across to London. They crossed the North Sea on CJ’s 50th birthday in what they were told was the ‘worst storm in 50 years’. At the end of the summer the children went home to their various colleges and high schools. CJ and Bettie Lou continued around the world visiting missionary friends in nearly every place they stopped.
Other trips followed to Europe and Russia, and in 1976, to So. America where there were many missionary friends. Next was Africa in 1980. They spent a year there. CJ served as interim business manager and Bettie Lou assisted in obstetrics. They moved to Mt. Hermon in 1982 and built their retirement home there.
In 1985 CJ retired from E.F. Hutton at the age of 69 and with his wife, Bettie Lou, joined the European Christian Mission and moved to Vienna to work with an unpublicized mission teaching Bible behind the ‘iron curtain’. All the Eastern European block was under communist domination, but the men went regularly “underground” to teach the Bible to young men chosen by their pastors for the training necessary to qualify them as pastors and Christian leaders in the countries where they were needed. These ‘traveling seminary’ teachers were all greatly loved and appreciated.
Romania became CJ’s assigned country and he loved the people dearly. CJ and Bettie Lou were in New Zealand/Australia in 1989, speaking for the ECM mission when the Romanian revolution succeeded in deposing of the despised dictator - (and where they saw on a friend’s TV that a serious earthquake was shaking up Northern California).
In 1999 the family enjoyed a ‘children and mates’ trip to Alaska, followed by other family cruises – last being the Panama Canal in the Spring of 2004. The one popular tourist attraction CJ had not seen was the Great Wall of China. Although he was 88 years old and had been partially disabled by a mild stroke and Bettie Lou also was somewhat disabled with back problems, they began making plans to go to China. Sons Rick and Rob and two wheel chairs were taken along to take care of them. All went well and CJ’s dream of ‘walking on the Great Wall of China’ was fulfilled. Just two weeks after return from China, son Randy preceded him in death very unexpectedly.
CJ List went to be with the Lord he had loved and served all his life on March 23, 2007. He is survived by his wife, Bettie Lou, three children, 12 grandchildren, 10 great-grandchildren, 3 nephews and 1 niece.
* Son Richard and wife Linda
Grandchildren:
Matthew
Alison and husband Joel Mason
Great Grandchildren:Levi, Jenna, and Luke
Daniel and wife Dana,
Great Grandson: Noah
* Son Randall (deceased) and wife Sherrie
Grandchildren:
Vannia and husband Tyson Henry
Great Grandchildren: Luke, Elizabeth, and Jaden
Rebekkah and husband Jeffery Bergeron
Great Grandchildren: Caedmen and Eli
Rachael
* Son Robert and wife Teri
Grandchildren:
Sarah
Robert
* Daughter Carolyn and husband John Corstorphine Jr.
Grandchildren:
Colin
Kimberly and husband Stephen Richardson
Great Granddaughter: Abigail (due any day)
Kirsten
John III
Internment will be at the National Cemetery in Gustine. His memorial service will be held on April 2, 2007 5:00 pm at The Valley Church of Cupertino, 10885 N. Stelling Rd, Cupertino.
