Re: Chris Johnson more info
- From: IdaSpode <not@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 29 Mar 2006 08:28:06 -0700
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
Chris' wife Maria asked if I'd circulate this:
DJ
------------------>>>
I have been trying to think of a way to reach out to everyone and
thank you for your generous support. Chris?s passing in November was
a shock to everyone, not only because he was a healthy, dynamic, and
strong presence, but a very vivid reminder that life is precious and
sometimes we don?t have control over our future. The outreach of
support from friends, co-workers, and companies affiliated with both
Chris and myself has humbled me immensely.
Chris had a zest for life that was hard to contain and rarely was. He
was a surfer, skateboarder, mountain biker, dirt bike rider,
snowboarder, basketball player and a sports enthusiast (especially the
Lakers and Raiders) and for my benefit, a fair weather fan of the
Bears, Cubs and White Sox. As long as I didn?t have to do any of
these things along with him, ours was a match made in heaven (although
in all our years together, I have probably done most of these things
at least once!)
In his professional life, Chris was dedicated to his work at HP,
detail oriented, and task driven. He strove to do the best job he
could with the tools that he was given. Over the past year, he would
often go into the office for early morning conference calls with
companies overseas so that everyone could talk in their own daylight
hours and make sure he would accomplish the things he committed to.
As a friend he was dedicated, straightforward, and honest. He was very
approachable and was always genuinely interested in what you had to
say. He would often listen more than speak (he left the outgoing chit
chatting to me) but had a good heart that was visible for everyone to
see. The girls and I just spent a weekend with some of Chris?s
childhood friends -- to me, their times together seemed like a
lifetime ago, to them, it was only yesterday.
As a father and a husband he was dedicated to his family and cherished
his daughters Ashley, 5 and Amy, 4. In talking to counselors at
school, children at this age do not really understand the concept of
death. They grieve just like you and me, but in a different way. Daddy
remains an important part of our everyday life, just in a different
capacity and the images we create on a daily basis will be the
memories they will have for their lifetimes. On a lighter note,
Daddy?s ghost appears on a daily basis -- in the car, at the dinner
table, and in every day conversations. If something is misplaced, the
girls will say "Daddy?s ghost took it"; if candy wrappers are left on
the floor, "Daddy?s ghost ate it"- it?s very cute and always makes me
smile. We have also named a star "the daddy star" (any random one will
do). On clear nights, we go out and say goodnight to the star or say a
few words. On Amy?s birthday in November, she sent a helium balloon up
to Daddy in heaven. While we have had some moments of upset (mostly in
the beginning) and continued questions along the way, for the most
part they are happy girls and are adjusting to their life. For me, I
am not prone to be melancholy and have had my moments, but tend to
look forward not back. I will cherish the 17 years Chris and I were
together but also know I have 2 little girls to raise and strive to be
the best person I can for myself and my family.
I will try to reach out to many of you individually, but in case I
cannot I wanted to let you know that I thank you from the bottom of my
heart for the support you have given to me and my girls. I am
struggling to find the words to express myself, but please know that
it is heartfelt and pure. Both of the girls love skiing, which would
make Chris happy. Ashley has a tendency to be like Chris and go for
the jumps and as fast as she can. Amy is a bit more cautious like me,
but she is only 4, so who is to say what a few more runs will bring.
Maria
.
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