Kristen Pedersen

Kristen Iver Pedersen (Kris), age 104, passed away on Thursday, July 23, 2025, at his residence in Hendersonville, North Carolina, with his loving family by his side.

Kris was born on December 12, 1920, in Vildbjerg, a small town in the western part of Denmark. The oldest of 5 siblings, he apprenticed and worked as a carpenter before studying engineering in Horsens, Denmark during the war. In 1947, with engineering degree in hand, he left Denmark for Venezuela to supervise the construction of highway bridges for various companies. He remained there for 8 years before taking a job offer in New York City.

In 1958, he met and married Inger Skov, also a native of Vildbjerg, Denmark, who had recently moved to the United States. The two built a life together in the suburbs of New York, had two children, Erik and Bodil, and later moved to Houston, Texas before retiring to Hendersonville, North Carolina in 1990. While raising the family in New York, he enjoyed many family skiing and hiking trips, camping with his son, summer vacations at a lake in Maine, and visits to family in Denmark whenever possible.

Kris loved his work as a civil engineer, mainly designing offshore mooring facilities for oil tankers, securing numerous patents for various inventions, and traveling the world to oversee projects. He continued to work as a consultant well into his 80s. Even in his retirement he spent treasured hours drawing up ideas, solving problems, and applying his carpentry/woodworking skills and can-do attitude to household and furniture projects.

He and Inger relished the home he built in Hendersonville (Flat Rock), hosting family, friends, and prayer groups over the years. When Inger was diagnosed with dementia, Kris was much admired for his great love, dedication, and fortitude in caring for her until her death in 2012, after 54 years together.

In later years, Kris found it a great joy to participate in Habitat for Humanity projects and Builders for Christ with First Baptist Hendersonville, where he was a faithful member for many years. He also loved classical music, reading, hiking, and traveling with friends and family, even visiting his native Denmark three times in his centennial years.

He will be remembered for his easy smile, his wonderful singing voice, his ingenuity, generosity, faithfulness, and quiet, supportive presence in our lives.

Kris is preceded in death by his parents, Peder and Helga Pedersen; his beloved wife, Inger Skov; his sister, Esther Pedersen; and brothers, Iver Pedersen and Frede Lindeskov.

He is survived by his son, Erik Skov Pedersen and his wife Kathleen of South Easton, Massachusetts; his daughter, Bodil Skov Pedersen and her husband Ron Hix of Hendersonville, North Carolina; his sister, Erna Nørgaard and her husband Jens of Kalundborg, Denmark; step grandsons, Zachary Hix (Elizabeth) and Joshua Hix (Amber); step great-grandsons Colton, Canyon, Hugh and Henry; and many nieces and nephews in Denmark.

A funeral service will be held Thursday, July 31, 2025, at 2:00 pm in the Chapel of Forest Lawn Funeral Home, with pastor Steve Scoggins officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, a short walk from the chapel. Family will receive friends at the funeral home from 1:00 pm until 2:00 pm, one hour prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church Hendersonville in loving memory of Kris.