Guest Book

I was saddened to read of Chris’ untimely death in the McGill News. I remember Chris fondly from our time together at McGill and Vanier. My deepest sympathies to Chris’ family and friends.

Very sorry to hear of Chris’ passing. I remember him well from our time at McGill in the 70’s. My condolences to family and friends.

It is with sadness I hear of Chris’ passing. I first became acquainted with Chris at Vanier College some 37 years ago and when continued together as Engineering students at McGill. Chris was always a bright and energetic student and it is sad that one passes at such a young age. Profound condolences to family and friends.

Even though we only met face to face once, Chris had a significant impact on my career. He was always encouraging, sincere, and ready to help in any way he could.

He defined professionalism with a personal touch that made those around him both better at what they do and better people while doing it.

You will be greatly missed.

Sincere condolences to Chris’s family, as he left us too early, still with so much to share and to live for.

I’ll miss you Chris, my dear and good friend.

Repose en paix dans la grâce du Seigneur. Je ne t’oublierai jamais!

I first remember seeing Chris around 1979 at Nortel. He was a friend of one of the new DMS customer engineers. Then, I didn’t see him until he joined the TelePATH group. I am glad to have known Chris. He was a very kind person who was always supportive of people.

Sandy

A great loss to the company and friends.
I’ve never seen such a hard working employee who dedicated everyday including weekends for work.
Now you can rest in peace.

I’m not incredibly good with words, especially when they have to be written down, so I shall keep this incredibly short, and very simple.

Uncle Chris was a special person to me, and will always remain in my heart. Though I am away and cannot attend the funeral tomorrow, I shall be there in spirit. I will be sitting down with a box of Guylian chocolates remembering Uncle Chris with every bite.

I know my Uncle cared for us, as much as we cared for him, and I shall never not have him in my memories.

I know Chris since he joined our Nortel CALRS group. I talked to him for nights that I stayed behind working late. We both have witnessed the ups and downs with Prism Systems Inc and Nortel. I feel sorry for his death. God will take care of Chris.

I first worked with Chris about 30 years ago at Nortel. My, how time flies! I only crossed paths with Chris a few times in the last decade since I left Nortel and he seemed to never have changed, in both appearance & personality.
Chris was a great guy to have on your team and will be sorely missed by many.
Rest in peace, Chris!
Brian

I met and worked with Chris when I started my very first job right out of university, at Nortel. New to the job, I had numerous questions but Chris always made time to help me sort and resolve the technical challenges I was facing. I will always remember him as an individual eager to explain and teach. I will miss Chris. My thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Chris, in all my years I don’t think I’ve ever worked with anyone so caring. You always put your co-workers first. You always looked for ways to make their job more pleasant. You always sought harmony. With new people your reaction was warmth and welcome. People sensed this from you and you brought out the best in them. You made us all better. We will miss you.

With a heavy heart, I bid you farewell, Chris. I know you are in a better place, looking down at us from the side of the Heavenly Father. You have been a great friend, a mentor and a colleague. You made me feel better in some of my darkest days and you appreciated even the little things I did. Rest in peace, my friend.

My sincere condolences to all the family members, may God give you strength to overcome this untimely loss.

I have had the opportunity to work with Chris in the recent years. Chris was one of the rare people we have the fortune of meeting in our lives; an extremely kind, thoughtful and caring person, very professional in his work, with an innate ability to establish kinship with his colleagues. Chris is very much missed.

I worked with Chris for a number of years at Nortel and Ciena. I fondly remember the long meetings that I had with Chris over the phone that turned into general discussions about all sorts of issues. He often chose to talk about his team – how he could better help somebody out or assist them in their career. Chris always cared about others and did his best to support them. Chris, you are a gentle soul who will be greatly missed and I offer my heartfelt prayers for you and your family.

I will miss my chats with Chris greatly. He had an amazing ability to uplift everybody’s spirits and to always find the positive in every situation. Whenever we talked it was obvious how much he cared for every member of his team. He always found a way to make people feel valued, respected and special.

Edmonton, AB
John: I am so sorry to hear of the recent passing of your brother. Although I did not know Chris personally, I do know the impact that a sudden death has on the family. We sometimes take each other for granted, assuming they will always be there. Don’t regret not making one more call or visit, but cherish the memories of times spent together. They do help sustain us. My thoughts will be with you this Christmas.

Calgary, Alberta: It’s been 16 years since we’ve lived in Brampton, and perhaps a bit longer since we’ve seen Chris. Although we’ve stayed in touch over the years through Christmas cards/letters. We fondly remember our New Year’s Eve get-togethers, sipping champagne and playing board games and computer games on the Apple II clone we built. I remember so well how Chris befriended me in my first month at Nortel– we were both taken from the cradle as junior engineers. We cut our teeth together in test engineering, baseball and mediocre cafeteria food. Chris, we miss you…and we thank God for blessing us with your friendship.

I remember Chris as exceptionally hardworking and conscientious in his work, kind and gentle with everyone he encountered. I’m glad to have learned from these guestbook entries that he had a rich personal life as well.

RIP Chris. It was great fun working with you back in the CALRS days…arguing at code reviews and strategy meetings where your true passion for technology mixed with your sense of humor always kept it interesting. You will be missed.

Light a candle for my star in the darkness…
Say “safe travelling” to the voice the gave me strength when I was losing hopes…

Chris will forever be a symbol/reminder in my heart for that there are always kindness and positive energy out there, no matter how tough/difficult the circumstances are around you.

My deepest regrets of not being able to say “Thank you” enough …
My regrets of not sending a “take care” note …

My most sincere condolences to Chris’s family and friends.

Chris was a close friend of my parents and an uncle to myself, as well as my sister Meghan and my cousin Alex. He has always been a part of my family, and never missed a major holiday (except when he was with his family out west) or birthday.

At those events, there was always a present for me, Meghan and Alex, and they always involved chocolate. This was something we all looked forward to, especially as children. Chris was generous, and above all, very caring and kind. He always made sure to ask how things were going with all of us. He cared deeply for my family, as we did for him.

His death has been a terrible shock and will continue to be so for a long time. I’m sure my family will be thinking about him every time we get together for dinner and he’s not there. We are all very saddened by this loss.

Although our working relationship over the last 4 years was as a voice over the phone line or email chats, I felt that Chris was able to reach through the impersonality of the medium and show that he cared about the person at the other end. We all know that he was very dedicated to the job, but it was equally obvious that he cared about the people he worked with. He really listened to the nuances of the response to “how are you doing?”, it was never about just making conversation. He made sure to personally mention key milestones and special achievements. He was a good man and we are lucky to have known him.

My sincerest condolences go out to all of Chris’ family and friends. I have known Chris for only a couple of years through work. He was indeed warm, understanding and compassionate. It was a pleasure to work alongside him and get to know him, if only for a short time. I will miss him.

My sincerest condolences go out to Chris family. I had the pleasure of knowing Chris for many years through mutual friends. I will miss him dearly, especially in the summer when he helped me swat away the bugs on group walks up north. He was a very kind soul and was a joy to talk with.
We will really miss you!!
Monique

Chris,
it was a short time that you were here with us. MBL, will not be the same without you…….it was a blessing in our lives having the opportunity to get to know you. God Bless!
Patricia

As soon as I started working with Chris I could see his strong commitment and helpfulness. However it is his unwavering patience and warm humour with everybody, in both calm and crisis, that I’ve come to appreciate even more over time. Always considerate and looking out for his people, he will be missed.

Chris was a brilliant person, exceptionally methodical and very dedicated individual. During my interaction with him I found him very supportive and guy who will never miss an opportunity to appreciate team members for the good work. His speech and thoughts would always encourage and motivate others to go an extra mile in whatever activity one is doing.

My deepest condolences!

Such a shock to lose someone who was almost part of my family. I remember Chris so well as a little boy always interested in anything electric as well as taking things apart to see how they worked–a genetic trait, I wonder! John and Keith, I know what a blow this must be to you as you were always so close. My dearest love to you at this sad time. Heather

We have lost a very dear friend, colleague and a brilliant person. Chris, you will be missed sadly. May God bless your soul and may you rest in peace.

To John, Keith, Uncle Michael and anyone who called Chris family or friend. To say we are in shock is an understatement. My deepest condolences go out to anyone who knew him. “Uncle” Chris, as my daughter Alex knew him, was a close family friend who spent many birthdays and other holidays with us. With the rest of our extended family, Chris began vacationing with us each August a few years back. He was a welcomed addition and will be sadly missed on our walks, on the beach and at the table. We will always love you and remember you with very fond memories. Kate and Alex

To John, Keith and Uncle Michael,
Let me start by expressing my deepest condolences to you for this tragic loss.
I have such fond memories of Chris when he was a young man growing up in Montreal.He always seemed so mature for his age and had this fabulous, kind personality that would always make you feel at ease. He was extremely intelligent and had a great sense of humour. He was a big fan of our band and I was a big fan of Chris.
I was so looking forward to seeing him again and catching up on 40 years of life.
Chris,, may you find eternal peace as your spirit and the great memories that we all have of you will continue to live on forever.
We will all miss you dearly.
Sincerely,
NIck

I’d like to offer my condolences to my friend John for the loss of his brother Chris.

I knew Chris for a short time when he and I were very young while I was living with his family up in the very cold Bois de Filion Quebec just north of Montreal way back in 1973/74. At that time he was about 15 and I was about 16.

While I was living there I was working with his brother John for his dad’s home business called Tenelux, but I was mainly working up there with his brother John in the beginning stages of putting together a Rock n Roll band called the Lavender Hill Mob.

What I remember mostly about Chris was that he was very fun to joke around with and he always came around with a wonderful big smile. The whole Chandler family (and that includes Robert the Lakeland Terrier) were very warm to me during my stay up there in the cold north and I’ll always remember Chris as being a part of that memorable experience.

Ronnie Jones

I’m truly grateful to fate that brought me together with this wonderful person.
Chris was always there for me during tough days at work. He tried to reason with me,
make me feel important, and always emphasized on the contributions that I’m making.
He was also able to be a good friend, and always found time to say “Happy Birthday”
every year. Chris was also an incredible mentor!!!
You will be deeply missed. May your soul rest in peace!

Rest in peace, Chris. We are all better for having known you. Condolences to Chris’s brothers and uncle.

To John, Keith and Uncle Michael, I am simply in shock.. It’s heartening to see this tribute website, because it is a fitting and lovely remembrance. Chris was always kind and funny, and could put you at ease, even at the most awkward or stressful moments. He could always make you laugh! He was like a brother, though I had only spent a few years with he and the Chandler family,being a friend of his brother John, before he moved to Ontario. The world has lost a good friend and soul- dear Chris you are and will be missed <3. My prayers are with the family.

Chris,
Shock and sadness are only the tip of this iceberg. In my life there are but a small handful of people that I feel and remember as family and you are one. Your influence and contribution to this small planet will be felt for years to come. To John, Keith and Michael – what ever I am able to do to help here don’t hesitate to call.

Chris always made me and many others feel soooo appreciated. His kindness and sincerity will be dearly missed.

I knew Chris for only a couple of months from working on the same product, but enough to feel the shock of the sad news.
Rest in peace.

Nela

It is very difficult to accept that Chris has passed away. He was a caring colleague who mentored me in my first designer role at Prism Systems on East Drive in Brampton in the mid 1990’s… Great to work with, he was very talented, patient, and had a great sense of humour… May you rest in peace, Chris. You will be missed.

Chris was a model of integrity, dedication and warmth for his fellow colleagues. I feel blessed I had the chance to know him and work with him.

Rest in peace

Chris’s work ethics and diligence were greatly appreciated. We will miss you.

Our deepest condolences! Rest in peace…

Put down the cell, the laptop, the blackberry, and pager Chris. There are no service providers in Heaven (yet).
Will miss your laugh and tireless assistance.

Chris was a great friend to many of us and he was genuinely interested in uplifting others around him. He will surely be missed.

Chris, You leave lot of treasured memories for me personally as a manager who mentored me in my initial years and then later as a colleague who continued to show special affection to me and interest in my development. I know that you touched everybody around you similarly by making time for them and making them feel special. I will miss your birthday emails you always made a point of sending to me first thing in the morning or wishing me happy holidays and vacations.

You can truly feel proud of your accomplishments and the values you demonstrated as a person throughout your life. May God bless you.

Chris was not only very diligent in his work, he was very caring of those he worked with. I worked with him over the last couple of years, and will miss his personal contributions. He was a great person to work with.

Goodbye to a great teacher, a brilliant colleague and a good friend. You will always be in our prayers.

To Chris and brothers/Uncle,
My thoughts go out to you, passing at such a young age. Your sudden passing has shocked many of us. Rest in peace.

Brian Stanke

Rest in peace my good old colleague and friend for over 28 years.

May God bless your soul.
I know that you are in a better place now, and that what makes me accept your sudden departure.