After attending high school at Kimball Union Academy in Meriden, NH, he enrolled at the University of Vermont where he studied computer science, in addition to being a member of the Vermont Air National Guard. He eventually went on to enroll in the University of Vermont College of Medicine, graduating in 1969.

Anesthesia was a natural choice for Chris. His father John, the founder of the University of Vermont Department of Anesthesia, was a major influence in his life, and upon his father’s urging, Chris found himself in London, England as a resident in Anesthesia. It was at the Royal Hammersmith Hospital in London that he met Margaret Jones, a young Australian nurse. They were then married in London on May 27th, 1972. Chris and Margaret moved on to Toronto, Ontario, Canada where he spent a year at the Toronto Sick Children’s Hospital completing his training. Then, along with a newborn baby, they came home to Vermont and settled in Williston where they would go on to raise two children, Michael John, and David.

Chris spent his entire professional career at the University of Vermont Medical Center as a pediatric anesthesiologist, from 1974 until his retirement in 2012. He achieved national recognition in 1984 with the publication of the seminal paper “Spinal Anesthesia for Surgery in the High-Risk Infant,” highlighting and re-popularizing a technique that had not been attempted since the early 20th century, helping to save countless young lives over the years. Chris traveled the nation and the world participating in conferences, and personally taught the technique to hundreds of residents, making him one of the most well-known and influential pediatric anesthesiologists of his generation. He was the 2013 recipient of the Robert M. Smith award, which recognizes an individual who has made outstanding contributions in the field of pediatric anesthesia. In 2019 the Chris Abajian, M.D. and Margaret Abajian Green and Gold Professorship in Pediatric Anesthesia was established to honor Chris’ and Margaret’s years of service to the department of anesthesia.

Known as “The Magic Man,” he could be frequently found doing magic tricks for hospitalized children, while adorned in colorful scrubs covered with cartoon characters and other playful patterns. These “Huggable Scrubs” were the brainchild of he and his wife Margaret, and in 1986 the company became the first designer hospital scrub company to grace operating rooms all over the country.

Beyond his professional achievements, Chris was a devoted family man. He cherished his role as a loving husband to Margaret, his partner in life for 47 years. Together, they built a foundation of love and support that extended to their children, Michael John and David, and grandchildren, Mason, Landon and Charlotte. Chris’ family was the center of his world, and he took immense pride in their accomplishments and happiness.

Chris was a man of many hobbies and talents. He was an accomplished woodworker, an avid outdoorsman who loved windsurfing and water-skiing in the summers, and skiing with his family in the winters. An angler of note, he traveled the world fishing from Manitoba to Costa Rica. In the summers he was often found at the family camp in South Hero, and in the fall and winter, the duck blind became a gathering place for family and friends to share sunrises and stories.

Following the death of his beloved wife Margaret of 47 years, he eventually moved from Williston to Essex. In 2023, he married an old acquaintance Bryce Thompson. He spent the later years of his life watching in awe, as his granddaughter Charlotte played hockey and his grandsons Mason and Landon moved on to college.

In Armenian, the word commonly used for goodbye literally translates to “good success” or “good luck” highlighting the culture’s emphasis on positivity even in tragic circumstances. “When your father dies, say the Armenians, your sun shifts forever and you walk in his light.” ("Shifting the Sun" by Diana Der-Hovanessian). When a father dies, it is said that the sun shifts its position in the sky as if to mark the significant change brought about by the loss of this central figure in the family. There are no words adequate to describe how much this kind and gentle man will be missed. His loved ones will be forever grateful for his energy and light.

He is survived by his two children Michael John Abajian MD, MPH and his partner Rebecca Lee of Burlington and David James Abajian and his wife Carrie (Scribner) Abajian RN and their three children Mason, Landon, and Charlotte, of Essex Junction. He is also survived by his brother Michael William Abajian MD, PhD and his wife Marion (Arbo) Abajian of Montpelier, and their children Michelle Abajian RN and Susan (Abajian) Apgar, as well as his current wife Bryce Thompson. He was predeceased by his wife of 47 years Margaret (Jones) Abajian, his brother Greg and his niece Kate.

The Abajian family would especially like to thank the nurses and staff on McClure 5 at UVM Medical Center for their exceptional end-of-life care and the many kindnesses from the UVM Anesthesia Department and UVM Alumni Association extended to the family during this difficult time. A celebration of life will be held from 10am- 1pm on July 21, 2024 at Snow Farm Winery in South Hero, Vermont. Please send memories, photos, and videos to chris.abajian.memories@gmail.…. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to The Crohns and Colitis Foundation and The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

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