Christopher James Stillmaker

Christopher’s life, by all accounts, was a miracle. He was born nine weeks premature on June 19th, 1981 in Medford, Oregon.  When born, he was so small he could be held in the palm of your hand.  He spent more than a month in the Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit before returning with his family to Klamath Falls, Oregon. 

While in the NICU he sustained two strokes and a double hernia.  Yet through all of this – he lived.  Physician’s warned of possible learning and developmental disabilities as he grew but he defied all and developed as normally as any child.  His only challenge was learning to crawl, which he did with one arm at first.  His eldest sister Joanne spent many hours with him on the floor at that time, teaching him to get up on all fours to crawl.

Most of Chris’ life was spent growing up in Redmond, Washington where he attended grade school, middle school, and high school.  Chris also had a passion for martial arts where he spent years, with his sister Lori, studying and practicing self-defense techniques in the martial art forms of Kokondo Karate and Jukido, at the Boeing Employees Martial Arts Association.  During middle school and high school, Chris achieved the level of Brown belt.

Chris grew up in the Catholic faith tradition.  He was baptized at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, in North Bend, Oregon the home town of his father and grandparents.  Most of his adolescent years, he attended St. Jude’s Catholic Church in his home town of Redmond.

After Chris left Redmond, he moved to Cheney, Washington where, for a short time, he started his studies in psychology.  However, Chris found more of a passion in Aviation Mechanics where he was planning to attend college at the time of his passing.

Chris was a compassionate and kind-hearted person.  He cherished the simple things in life; nature, spending time with family, and he loved animals.  He would go to great lengths not to even hurt a mouse.  He loved his cat, Buddy. He loved his mother very much and always made sure to keep a close relationship with her.  He loved going on walks and hiking, and just taking the time to have a Big Gulp with his father and brother, Jeremy.

Chris is survived by his father, David, mother, Bambi, his stepmother Linda, his sisters Joanne and Lori, brother Jeremiah, his step-brother Joshua, and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephew.

Heavenly Father we pray that Chris is resting in peace in your loving arms, and look forward with an eye of faith and hope – to the day we meet again.

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