Christopher was a musician, poet, philosopher, artist, Medieval Scholar, Navy veteran, teacher, author, songwriter, political advisor/consultant, storyteller, and probably a few other things that we're forgetting.

He was almost always in a band, even playing in the Battle of the Bands at St. Joe High School. During his year-long posting in Greece (while serving in the Navy), he was a member of the hugely popular (at least on base) band, Squid Bikini. For whatever reason, throwing Twinkies became their trademark and we learned that Twinkies have a shelf-life of 7 years.

Later came the Cedar Island Band and then the Bamboozlers and probably others that we can't remember right now.  He loved playing music with others and learning along side friends. He loved sharing music with others, and 'band practice' was one his most favorite pastimes. In addition to the music, the camaraderie was precious to him.

Topher considered himself to be "A warehouse of useless information" and that was never more apparent than when playing Trivial Pursuit with him. How he pulled those answers from his a**, we'll never know.

Christopher traveled the world; from time in Greece to European and South American vacations and a high school trip to Germany, he loved learning about different cultures and customs. 

While in Florence, Italy several years ago with family, he was determined to enjoy the famous 'bistecca alla Forentina'. Of course, this was during a European outbreak of Mad Cow disease, so he was told that the dish could not be made with traditional Italian steak, but rather imported Argentinian steak. He laughed and then said, "Well, it's still technically bistecca all Fiorentina, so bring it on." That steak was larger than his head. And my head. And he enjoyed the hell out of it. 

He thought the Dalmatian Coast of Croatia was the most beautiful place he had ever seen. He loved the Peruvian dish Lomo Saltado so much that he willingly and eagerly cooked it for others multiple times. 

He loved driving his car and he loved road trips - solo or with company. He loved traveling around the midwest playing gigs with The Cedar Island Band and The Bamboozlers. 

Christopher traveled through time; he fell in love with the literature from the Medieval period and dove head first into that world. He graduated with a Masters from the Medieval Institute at the Western Michigan University and received his doctorate in English from the University of Iowa. His dissertation focused on three poems from Old and Middle English. He was fascinated by the rhetoric and emotion in poetry from that time period. That almost life-long educational journey was what led him to describe himself first and foremost as a humanist.

He loved his family. From his younger years watching out for and defending Patrick to his later years teaching and playing with his nieces and telling everyone how proud he was of them, his family was the most important thing to him. Christopher was much more sentimental than probably any of us realized.

Christopher will forever be loved and missed tremendously by his family; his mother, Joyce; his brother, Jeff; his sister, Erica; his brother-in-law, Jim; his nieces Zoe and Lessie. 

Christopher will forever be loved and missed tremendously by his chosen family; Mike and Lori; Dani and Jeff; Steve and Pamela; Joe and Linda.

We are eternally grateful to have loved and been loved by Christopher.

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