Christopher Darrell Medori

It is with great sadness and heavy hearts for our family to announce the passing of our beloved Chris Medori, who left us peacefully at home in his sleep on Friday, May 29, 2020 at the age of 59.  He is survived by his constant companion, his 'sweet pea' puppy, Bailey, who was always by his side, even in passing; his loving wife of 32 years, Paulina; his children, Crystal (Alex and Mya), James; step-mother, Sylvia Zettel; his siblings and their family, Barry and Maureen (Dustin & Ashley), Scott and Sandy (Jordan &Tyler), Doug and Linda, Avril and Michael (Joshua); brother-in-law, Greg Nesteruk; and best friend Mark Overdulve (Nancy); as well as several aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

Paulina, James and Crystal are heartbroken over their loss, but are comforted that he is no longer suffering and in the care of Jesus. He’s likely running about with our family's first beloved dogs, Buddy and Curly, and hugging his mom and dad - who he loved and adored so much. Chris was aware that with his health issues (some genetic, some not), that his time on this Earth was short, and he made every effort to make the most of it. Never one to be selfish, Chris always put others before himself; but family above all else. Chris' strong faith in God, along with the unquantifiable amount of love and compassion he expressed towards others, speaks volumes to the true strength and power of his enormous (albeit physically weakened) heart.

Chris loved camping at his trailer and enjoyed several summers at Eagle Lake and Dickson Leisure Campground. He was happiest there when surrounded by his loving family and many friends that gravitated towards his exuberant and joyful personality.

Although Chris' personal interests lay elsewhere, his love, pride, and dedication to his son James' interests led him to coaching many teams alongside his wife with Airdrie Little League during the summer for years. Even when stepping aside to let others take over, Chris never missed a single game, or even a practice for that matter.   In the winter, Chris was a constant spectator at his hockey games and tournaments - and once again, never missed a practice.  Never one to break tradition, Chris continued to attend James' beer league hockey games, whether the arena had heat or not. As was in his selfless nature, when a scorekeeper was needed for a game to run smoothly, Chris would step up to the plate and volunteer to take care of the time clock and score sheet. We suspect his eagerness to volunteer may have had something to do with the heaters installed in the timekeeper’s box... regardless, these gestures never went unnoticed by James' teammates, opponents, and officials alike. Chris' knowledge in this area was not without reason however, as he volunteered his time on many Friday nights to score keep for the Airdrie Thunder as well. In addition to attending every game and practice, Chris was also involved in managing teams of James' over the years in competitive hockey as well. One way or the other, if James looked to the stands or timekeepers’ box, it was a sure thing that he would see his Dad beaming with pride somewhere in the rink. James also enjoyed the (very limited) time he would spend with his father while in the penalty box.

Chris was involved with Airdrie Little League for many years, wearing several different hats at any given time - most notably as President of the League for several years. His perseverance and efforts were instrumental in laying the foundation and assisting the growth of A.L.L that our city's youth enjoy today.

Chris put aside the pain and sorrow he felt over his Dad's unexpected passing on  March 17, 1993 to spread cheer and joy as Santa Claus that Holiday season. That Christmas turned into a passion and significant love of his, for it was a yearly tradition that continued until his final days. For the first few years, he was a resident Santa at many malls in Airdrie and Calgary, including the original Towerlane Mall prior to its renovation. In more recent years he played Santa at the AUPE Children’s Christmas Party for the University of Calgary where his wife worked for 39 years and had just retired the same day Chris did (lol). 

Chris made dozens of appearances at parties, gatherings, as well as personalized house visits that brightened up so many lives - which were not limited to just children, but teenagers and adults as well. His ability to bring the spirit of Christmas that each of us grew up in awe of was undeniable. He especially looked forward to his yearly visits for his two grandchildren every Christmas Eve, and was steadfast in his belief that the true Santa Claus lay in the spirit of each individual, and that the love and joy that we spread to others was where we could find Santa - a belief and tradition that he was able to pass on to his son in recent years as well. Chris and James spent the last few years splitting Santa appearances, or watching the other with love and pride while they wore the big guy's suit and spread joy to all those around them. It is a lesson and experience that James will continue to honour in Chris' name and legacy. The excitement, happiness, and joy that Chris and Paulina raised James on is a feeling that his son looks forward to passing on for years to come.

Chris was a mechanic by trade and worked in various stations over the years, including Minit-Tune, where he met Paulina through his co-worker Doug. Doug’s wife, Vivian, was a co-worker with Paulina at the U of C. They went on their first date  on November 28th, 1987 and got married on October 1, 1988. Two years later James was born.  In 1995, his daughter Crystal came back into Chris’ life while in her mid teens.  Her mom was Chris’ first love and he recalled how thankful he was that she was with him during the tragic death of his mother in November 1977. 

He won the Calgary White Hatter Award in 1981 for Best Service Attendant sponsored by the Calgary Tourism Association while working at South Trail Texaco. In January 2000 he was given the opportunity to work as a Sales Representative for Lumacell/Thomas & Betts.   Chris loved his job and put his heart and soul into it.  Unfortunately, his career was cut short in August 2011 when he experienced one of several heart attacks that forced him out of work.  We want to thank Lumacell , specifically, Steve Warholik and Len Skoreyko, whose motto was always family first with their employees. They gave Chris the opportunity to work at something he loved and dreamed of doing, and through his work was able to take several memorable trips with his wife. Chris' passion to help others, along with his love for his fellow man, made this dream career of his something that was never a 'job' to him. It was an opportunity to establish, build, and maintain friendships that lasted him for the rest of his life. It was a passion that he instilled in his son, who has, and will always aspire to be the kind of man that Chris was. James followed in Chris' footsteps for ~5 years at the same company, and in the same position as Chris. It was a milestone in his son’s career that both shared significant joy for together, and only strengthened the amazing bond between them. It is a period in James' life that he will always look back incredibly fondly on, knowing that he and his Dad shared a portion of the same experiences. Although James had to endure being called 'Chris' countless times; the love, respect, and admiration he had for his Dad only grew stronger with every story or memory he would hear. It became commonplace for Chris to receive a call from James saying 'so-and-so says hello and wants to know how you are doing'. These little things, along with helping James with his work, were among the brightest spots in Chris' days. The love they had for each other was, and will always be - incomprehensible; as Chris was James' best friend. James would like to say that the passing of his Dad marked the day that he lost his best friend, his hero, and his idol. James would also like to thank his Dad for providing the blueprint to becoming an incredible human, a loving father, brother, and uncle. The lessons Chris taught him will never cease, and he will aspire to incorporate Chris' love and ideals into his daily life forever.

The family would also like to thank many medical professionals for their assistance over the years. Specifically, Dr. Luba Kazatchenko, Dr. Tim Boyne, Dr. Charlene Fell, Dr. Brad Mechor , Dr. Adrian Lee, Dr. Stuart Ross, Dr. Martin Duffy, Dr. Ian Scott, as well as the Pharmacists of Safeway in Airdrie. Our family apologizes to any other medical workers we missed, who were all just as instrumental in the length of time we had with Chris. Without their treatment, expertise, and attention to detail, Chris would not have experienced the quality of life he had.  He went for regular blood transfusions, as well as iron infusions at the Peter Lougheed Special Care Unit and enjoyed bantering about with the nurses and staff.  We so appreciate the care they gave him over the years.  A big thank you to those who donate blood. Your contributions will always continue to be held in the highest respect. Your compassion and willingness to save others allowed us to have our great big teddy bear for more years than would have been possible without your incredible donations.

Sadly, due to Covid19 restrictions, a Celebration of Chris’ life will be held in the near future.  Information will be posted at this site when arrangements are confirmed.

In lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the Airdrie Food Bank or any charity of your choice.    And please remember to love one another and treat each other with kindness, for we do not know when our time on this earth is  done.  Eternity is the next journey and there are only two options.  We can either trust in the Light or deal with the darkness.

Our family kindly asks for anyone comfortable in doing so, to share a memory, or two (or three, or four) that stick out in their memory of Chris. For those that may not wish to share them publicly, James' email is included below. We would be immensely grateful for these memories, as they will be saved by us, and become part of a scrapbook our family wishes to build and maintain in honour of the greatest person we ever have or will meet, Chris Medori. This world is a far lesser place without you, and although that phrase is used frequently - this time it truly, undeniably means something. That is something every person that reads this will agree on. We love you, we miss you, and we will see you again in the next life. Until then, we know you are watching over us. Thank you Dad. We love you so much. We will never forget you, and James wants you to know that he will always be your Monkey.

May you Rest In Peace.

jmedori@hotmail.com