Chris Dillon

May 26, 1959 to May 28, 2020

 


Christopher Roger Dillon

Christopher Roger Dillon, was taken into the arms of the Lord on Thursday, May 28th after a long struggle with the effects of multiple sclerosis. Joyful and living life to its fullest, Chris possessed a charm that brought him many friends over the course of his life.


Keith, Chris & Kathy

As a boy, Chris was known as a jokester, famous for pranks and periodically concocting mischievous schemes with his friends – yet he skillfully managed to rarely get caught. Chris grew up in a neighborhood full of kids who enthusiastically played baseball all summer and football in the fall when they weren’t climbing trees, riding bikes, or building forts. Love of the outdoors was ingrained into Chris: his family’s backyard, the nearby woods and trails, and any likely frog pond were staples of his youth. With a bright smile and easy laugh, Chris maintained strong connections with his childhood friends throughout his life.


Chris & Larry

In his teens, his favorite holiday was clearly the 4th of July where the ‘anything goes, the bigger the better’ mantra with regards to explosions and pyro techniques held sway. Bottle rocket ‘wars’ with his younger brother was a highlight event for several years. This love of fireworks and yearly trips to nearby reservations was a delight that he embraced throughout his lifetime.

As a young man, Chris became a jack-of-all-trades, working in a wide range of industries from construction to logging, and ran his own maintenance company for several years later in his life. Over the years, he enjoyed snowmobiling in winter, while fair weather would find him piloting a boat, flying on a jet ski or riding a dirt bike up the tallest coal pile in Roslyn. If it involved speed and thrills, Chris was an avid participant. He was a skilled fisherman, and spent many days on the water with his brothers Keith and Larry.

Chris enjoyed travelling with his father and spoke glowingly for years of the trip they took to Europe, visiting countries of the Mediterranean. He and his father also took many long-distance road trips in the U.S. Chris loved the sun, and took advantage of any opportunity to get out and bask in it, maintaining an impressive tan for years.

With the onset of his multiple sclerosis, Chris remained positive and upbeat, conversational and engaging even when he lost mobility. He found some measure of solace in speeding through the halls of his care facility in his powered wheel chair, which he dubbed Pegasus. He learned to enjoy watching the Mariners on TV, so that he could have ongoing chats about the games via phone with his beloved mother, Gerry, who was a diehard fan. In his later years, Chris was sustained by his strong Christian faith; it was not uncommon for him to break into prayer in support of friends and family who visited him whenever he learned of challenges they might be facing.

Chris is survived by his brother Keith (Freddie) Dillon and his sister Kathy (Stan) JauJou. He was laid to rest beside his parents and brother, Larry, at a private ceremony at the Kirkland Cemetery.