Christopher N. Christner

Chris Christner (50) lost his 2 ½-year battle with cancer on May 5, 2019 at his Lakewood, CO home, surrounded by his beloved family – wife Shannon and their sons Cameron (age 15) and Owen (age 12). Chris was born January 19, 1969 on the U.S. Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan. He and his birth family then lived in Virginia Beach, VA for two years and Norman, OK for three, before settling longer term in Wakefield, RI where he attended South Kingstown schools through high school. Chris earned his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut – Storrs in 1991, after which he worked as a case manager at the South County Community Mental Health Center (RI). In 1994, he relocated to the metro Denver area. He was employed by the Mental Health Center of Denver (MHCD) for 25 years where he served as a case manager and counselor for clients with mental illness and substance use disorders. While at MHCD, he earned a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Colorado, Denver. His last position was as Program Manager of a homeless outreach initiative. Chris loved to travel with his wife of 21 years, Shannon E. Christner, and sons Cameron and Owen. Trips included numerous national parks, theme parks, and international destinations. He was also an avid sports fan, becoming a follower of Denver franchises, while maintaining his support of New England teams he had followed while growing up. He also excelled at Fantasy League competitions and had a wonderful sense of humor and kind way about him, not to mention his encyclopedic knowledge of movies and music. Besides his wife and sons, Chris is survived by his parents, David W. Christner (Linda) of Saunderstown, RI and Anne Marshall Christner of Littleton, CO; his sister Carrie M. Christner of Denton, MD; aunts Melanie Fathman (Tony), Kathy Wilke (Dan), Jan Burgdorfer (Roger), and Colleen Conant; and many wonderful cousins. Chris also leaves his in-laws, Gene and Isabel Louser and Sean Louser (Jen) and Sean’s sons Aidan and Gavin. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the American Cancer Society. Chris’s family and friends will honor him at a memorial service to be held on May 25, 2019 3pm at Jefferson Unitarian Church in Golden, CO.