A celebration of life service for Dan Christian, 83, of Corinth, MS is scheduled for 2:00 PM Friday, December 9, 2022 at Magnolia Funeral Home – East with interment in Magnolia Gardens. Visitation will be from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM Thursday, December 8, 2022 and from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM Friday, December 9, 2022 at Magnolia Funeral Home – East. Dr. Randy Bostick will officiate the service. Honorary pallbearers will be the Men’s 2 Sunday School Class at Oakland Baptist Church and Mark Daniel.
Dan Christian of Corinth died December 5th, 2022, at home from a short illness. Born November 25, 1939, to Ellis Preston and Ovie Christian (Kingsley) in Tupelo MS. He graduated Tupelo Senior High School in 1957 and was Co-captain of the football team his senior year. He went on to Mississippi State University and graduated with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1963. On January 1, 1961, he married Betty Monts. From 1963 to 1968 he worked at Brown Engineering INC. and attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville and completed course work for M.S. in engineering.
In 1968 he moved to Corinth MS to start at ITT telecommunications and worked until retirement in 1993 with 25 years of service. He was design engineer, engineering supervisor and senior engineer. A lifetime member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Also, a member of the Pickwick Society of Manufacturing Engineers serving two terms as chairman. He was also a registered engineer in Mississippi and Alabama by exam.
Dan became interested in drag racing and cars as a young teenager, winning many drag races as driver, mechanic, and owner. He started his racing career on a dirt drag strip in Nettleton, MS and finished his racing career as a mechanic and owner on the dirt circle tracks of North MS, Southwest TN. and North Ala. scoring many feature wins and championships including the 1997 super street National Championship in Phenix City Ala.
After his retirement in 1993, he moved fulltime to manage Christian’s Automotive Machine that he founded in 1988 with his two sons. He loved to tune high performance engines and was adept at carburetor rebuilding and tuning. This was his passion; all things racing.
He was a lifetime Baptist and member of Oakland Baptist Church. One of his greatest pleasures was the love of his church, his Sunday School class and his grandchildren. His last great pleasure was to see his Bulldogs defeat Ole Miss in the egg bowl the day before his 83rd birthday.
Survivors are his wife of 61 years Betty, sons Danny (Sherry), Tommy (Cindi), daughter Susan Edwards (Jim); 8 grandchildren: Amy Woodard (Gary), Haley Beth Reeves (Stephen), Leslie Christian, Aaron Christian (Bayle), Jared Christian (Sarah), Blaine, Lilia, Elena Edwards; and 8 greatgrandchildren with 2 on the way. Sister Maude Dean Cook; two nephews: Mike and Craig Cook; niece Tammy Akers.
He was preceded in death by his parents EP and Ovie Christian, sister and brother-in-law Mary and Gene Clark; brother-in-law Paul Cook, nephews: Dennis Clark (Vietnam), Ricky Cook, Sam Akers, niece Rebekkah Cook and his mother and father-in-law Sybol and Grady Monts.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donation to Oakland Baptist Church’s building fund. Magnolia Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Dan Christian.
