Chris was a truly spiritual being, here to have a physical experience, which he embodied fully. His love for his family — Marilyn, Joshua, Mel, Gaelen, Jordan, Zoë, Karen, Artees and Zaiah — was so deep and broad that only the arms of "Bear" could truly hold it. Everyone knew they were in his constant, unwavering embrace.
Chris passed away on Monday, November 2nd, 2020 — far too soon at age 60. His passing comes as part of a full life, in which his many qualities - Love, Vitality, Passion, Courage, Family, Spice, and True Joy - were on display. His family was with him throughout and at his passing — embracing him with their own unconditional love.
Chris could often be found in "Chef Mode," where he showed his incredible drive, focus and desire for excellence. Through this he brought people together around amazing food of his endless creation and showed his love this nurturing way. His career in the food industry was an extension of a spirit of celebration — nourishing people, building communities at home, in education, and in the kitchen.
Chris had a powerful drive to explore, grow, and be deeply curious. His adventures led him and his family from prestigious restaurants in British Columbia, to alpine campgrounds in the Rocky Mountains, to his own bakery-restaurant, The Village Baker, in Lethbridge, Alberta, to decades of education in Canada, Vermont, and Oregon. His professional spaces were wonderful demonstrations of how to create community with warmth, genuine caring and deep resolve. These principles live on in each of those he touched so deeply.
He reveled in the pinnacles of gastronomy, highlighted by the dining experience of a lifetime at Chef Paul Bocuse’s classic restaurant, in Lyon, France, with Marilyn, on their 30th Anniversary. He took a stage at Fergus Henderson's St John, travelled to Lithuania to lead a kitchen education enterprise, and was central in the Oregon Truffle Festival.
Although Chris’s life is exemplified in his culinary expressions and adventures, to his family he was so much more. Chris is an example of a life lived with purpose, where choices revolved around values, and his primary value was his family.
This started early and is clear in the bond between Chris and his beloved Marilyn started almost instantly when they met in Vancouver in 1982, and then traveled to Lake Louise at the Post Hotel. When Chris vowed his love for Marilyn, it grew for both of them from that moment for a lifetime. A love so deep and strong that it will always endure.
To remember Chris is to see his face turned to the sun, arms wide, living and absorbing the power of the moment — embracing it, the dance, the flow... to the soundtrack of Genesis.
