Obituary: Kristinn James Thorsteinson May 4, 1995 - June 8, 2024

Kristinn James Thorsteinson was born May 4, 1995, in Juneau Alaska to Donald Thorsteinson and Susan Flanary, and was raised in Petersburg Alaska. Kris loved his life in Petersburg, appreciating its very unique character. It held a very special place in his heart.

Kris died unexpectedly on June 8, 2024 in St. Paul MN after running in a charity race.

At a very young age Kris developed a lifelong love of baseball, learning to count by playing catch in the living room. Before he could read he could identify players from studying his baseball cards and watching the Mariners. Many hours were spent playing wiffle ball in the yard. He played Little League and considered himself extremely lucky to be eligible to play for an extra year because of his birth date. He went on to play four years on the Petersburg varsity baseball team.

Kris excelled in school and participated in many activities. He enjoyed competitive sports and tried many-soccer, swimming, basketball, and then wrestling, where he wrestled for the varsity throughout high school, going to the state tournament three years in a row.

Kris loved to read all of his life. He was passionate about searching out and finding good books and stories. He and his dad loved to talk books. He consequently developed a strong vocabulary and a life-long interest in learning new words. He would send his parents messages about new words he came across, challenging them to use them in a sentence or define!

Growing up, he and his brother Jon spent weeks each summer with family in Minnesota, enjoying life to its fullest. Still, the family was surprised to find out that the University of Minnesota was the first school to which he applied. His college tour occurred during a February blizzard, yet he stood by his first choice.

Kris took school seriously and was accepted at the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management after graduating from Petersburg High School in 2013. He spent a semester abroad

studying in Switzerland, and he loved traveling around Europe, seeing the sites and experiencing the culture. It inspired in him a love for travel and learning about new places.

He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from the University of Minnesota, graduating in 2018. As a student at the U of M he interned for Deloitte in Minneapolis and upon graduation was offered a position. He accepted and spent the rest of his career there. He worked as a senior tax consultant in Global Employer Services, providing tax services to people who are on assignments both inbound and outbound of the U.S.

Like so many young men in Petersburg, Kris wanted a job on a fishing boat. When he was sixteen he got a job as a deckhand on the purse seiner FV Island Pride and spent two salmon seasons onboard. After graduation from high school, he spent a summer working for his dad at Alaska Marine Lines. After his freshman year at the U of M, he was offered a job on the FV Adamant, and he went on to fish with them every summer until he went to work for Deloitte. Unbeknownst to him, the long hours and hard work of the busy salmon season prepared him well for his career with Deloitte.

Kris was a very social person, and he made many new friends after leaving home and moving to Minnesota. Many of the close friends he made his freshman year remained close for the rest of his life. He was a loyal, true friend to all. He was pleased to be able to stay in the Twin Cities after graduation and became truly fond of life in Minnesota. He was a movie buff and loved going to the movies with his pals. He also enjoyed going to baseball games and taking part in the many activities that life in the Twin Cities offered. His trips home to Petersburg were special as well, where he thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his extended Petersburg family and his many close friends.

His smile could light up a room, but his time with us was too short. He lived life to the fullest, and from the time he was a little boy he strove to live his life on his own terms. His was a life well-lived. As so many of his friends have shared, he was a shining light that burned with kindness and affection for all those lucky enough to have crossed his path.

He is survived by his parents; his brother Jon (Jenny) and his nephew Travis; aunts and uncles Pat (Sue) Flanary, Kathy Flanary, Liz Flanary, Mark (Suzanne) Flanary, Joe (Natacha) Flanary, Fred Thorsteinson, Lyman Thorsteinson, Brad Austin; grandmother, June Flanary; and numerous cousins. He is also survived by his godmother, Karen Hofstad.

A memorial gathering was held at the Washburn-McReavy Funeral Home in Edina Minnesota on Monday, June 17 with a time to share stories, followed by a get-together at Blackstack Brewery in St. Paul Minnesota.

A Funeral Mass will be held in Petersburg on Friday, June 28 at 1 p.m., followed by a gathering at the Son's of Norway Hall from 2-4 pm.

He will be interred at Petersburg Cemetery at a later date.

The funeral mass will be available on a live stream and for later viewing following the service with Petersburg Lutheran Church Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/PLC2018plus/. All memorial donations will go to a future scholarship fund in Kris's honor.