It is with great sadness that the family announces the sudden passing of Chris Wakefield on November 5th, 2024 at the age of 45.
Growing up Chris was an adventurous little boy who had a natural ability to excel in sports.
You name it he played it; soccer, hockey, baseball and football, any sport he played he excelled at.
He always gave 100% and his teammates respected him.
He had the pleasure of playing with his older brother Jason for many years.
Opponents would fear seeing the two brothers show up together knowing what a powerful punch this combination was.
Later in life Chris developed a love for Frisbee golf.
If there was a spare second to be had you could find him at Boulevard throwing his discs or wading through the water in search of his discs.
He was a leader in the Frisbee golf community.
He assisted in the designing of Boulevard and other courses, as well as being a lead in organizing a Canadian Tournament which saw some big players here in Thunder Bay.
Chris was a protector. If you were family or friend, you always had the luxury of knowing Chris had your back.
One thing for sure is you stayed away from his sisters. He went to Jen for advice and was the watchdog over Melanie’s shoulder, ensuring she did not follow in his footsteps.
We know he is looking down on all his loved ones ensuring they are safe.
Christopher had a natural ability to connect and make friendships very easily. He had a way with words and an ability to pull you into his world.
Those that had the pleasure of knowing Chris felt the endless love he brought to the table.
His heart was pure and full of kindness. It didn’t matter who you were, Chris would share his whole heart with you and help in whatever capacity you needed.
In Latin the meaning of “courage” is whole hearted. Chris had a lot of courage.
He often battled in his heart to do the right thing. He truly wanted to be on the other side of his addiction. He wanted nothing more than to be the best father, spouse, son, brother and friend. We all knew his struggles and wanted to help. He had the courage to speak to people and to look for help but something more powerful than we can understand took his courage.
Chris’s greatest moment in life was the births of his children Alexa and Christian.
He met Shanna in 2011 on Christmas Day and knew there was something special between them.
At the time Chris was working out of town and within a year came back to Thunder Bay to love and embrace his family, but most importantly his little princess Alexa. He couldn’t imagine going two weeks without seeing them so he came back to become an entrepreneur.
Chris had a skill and passion for concrete. He became increasingly talented at planning, designing, pouring and finishing concrete.
With this passion he started his own business; Chris’s Custom Concrete. The sense of pride this endeavour created in Christopher could be seen as Chris often shared pictures of his best work.
He was on a good path. He had the ability to be with his family every night and do the things he loved during the day.
When his son Christian was born he knew his name would carry on in him. He was his little man and side kick. He was a spitting image of him.
Christopher shared his love of adventure with his children. He would often take them camping, fishing, hunting and of course teaching them one of the many sports he loved. They were his whole happiness in life.
Christopher was predeceased by his father, Kevin Wakefield, his great grandparents, Alrick & Martha Johnson, his grandparents Gordon & Eleanore Gaudry and Frank & Irene Wakefield.
Chris is survived by his 2 children, Alexa and Christian Wakefield and his best friend and mother of his children, Shanna Monto.
Chris will also be greatly missed by his mother Kathy and stepfather Mike, his siblings Jennifer (Paul), Jason (Tania) and Melanie (Shannon) and cousin Matt Chochla and numerous uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, the family will be setting up an education fund for Alexa and Christian. Contributions can be made in trust to Shanna Monto at smonto_23@hotmail.com.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
On-line Condolences may be sent to www.blakefuneralchapel.com
