4
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Tribute
WedNEsdAy, FebRUARy 16, 2000
TI he CI ac I íamas P rínt
On Monday,
January 31st, Chris
Chatfield, student
athlete, took his own
life. This is a look
back at a young man
who touched the
lives of so many.
Chris Chatfield was an average
guy. A twenty-year-old student at
Clackamas who goofed around
with friends, excelled in sports and
wrestled with his little brother.
His friends called him humble,
funny, talented and intelligent. But
Chris was hurting. Unbeknowst to
many of his friends, he had been
diagnoised with depression and on
January 31,2000, Chris felt that he
couldn't go on with life.
He was a devoted son, loving
brother and faithful friend.
Paul Kezes, friend and teammate
on the Track and Cross Country
squads, reminisced about his time
spent with him during the days
leading up to his death.
All of the following quotes can
be attributed to Paul unless other
wise noted.
Who was Chris?
“He was so humble. He would
never brag about himself or
antying. That’s what was cool
about him. I learned this awesome
thing about Chris; When he was a
senior in high school, he tried pole
vaulting and his first year he
cleared 12’6." At my school,
Blaine, which is single A school in
Washington, he would have been
like a god or something because
his running awesome times and
pole vaulting on the side. It’s like
wait, distance runners aren’t sup
posed to be able to do all of this.
Talking to his mom, too, he was
able to adapt and pick things up
so quickly.”
The friendships
“He’d called me up and say,
‘Hey do you want to go to a
movie?’ because he had a friend
at the theater that could get us in.
Sometimes we’d bring Tim, my
roommate, or Krystal [Schneider].
That was really her only experience
with Chris and she thought he was
a pretty nice guy.
“I feel like I was a really good
friend to him and he was a really
good friend to me.
“He wasn’t two-faced, he didn’t
trash-talk. He was just a guy raised
with good values. He’s like Andy
Monhead [teammate]. They’re
kind of similar in the way that they
treat friendships. It's really serious
to them. Andy’s a good friend of
mine. Monhead takes things to the
extreme and he gets condemned
for it. Hell, even I condemn him for
it, for doing things seriously. I love
the guy, he’s a really cool guy but
a lot of people don’t understand
Chris [on right] running with one of his friends from Oregon City
High School, Andy Monhead.
him. Chris was cool, he wouldn’t
The day before
really explode. He was a serious “We got together on Super Bowl
person when it came to friendship Sunday to watch the game. He just
and things like that. I think he saw wanted to get together. He called
me as a friend but we weren’t real me up and said ‘You and your
close. His friend Justin, who he roommate come over and hang out.
was friends with for a long time, We’ll eat some junk food and stuff
he would tell him what’s been go like that.’ We were having a good
ing on—what other people were time. We were yelling at the T.V.,
saying about him. But around me, ‘That was a bad call,’ things like
it was just a time for him to be that. Chris’ dad would come over
happy and sort of put on a mask. I and ask, ‘Oh did someone just
see that now. I guess I never really make a basket?’ and Chris would
gave him the chance to tell him that just start cracking up. He was just
I was there for him and that he like a normal guy... really cool...
could talk to me. It was there.
he was funny.”
“I think he was hurting emotion
ally. He wouldn’t express emotions
The funeral
around any of us.”
“When all of the pallbearers
were called up during the funeral,
The team
I really got the chance to see how
“Losing this link in the chain has many people were there. There
made us reassess and come to were tons of people. A bunch of
gether as a whole more nowthan his other friends, this guy from a
ever. For those who didn’t know Florida university who was one of
Chris, they’re thinking ‘Well hey, Chris’ really good friends, flew all
I’d like to get to know everyone the way up for the funeral. People
else.’ It’s brought the team closer were from all over. I looked out and
together as a family now. You really didn’t know a lot of the
could see it at the first track meet. people. A lot of them came and
A lot of us would go and watch embraced me and gave me pats on
throwing and high jump. I noticed the shoulders. They kind of un
more people on the team have been derstand that, ‘Hey, you knew
watching the distance events too.” Chris somehow. Chris let you into
his life somehow.’ That was nice.”
His family
Monday
“I didn’t really know the family all
that much. His mom seemed like
this really nice, loving woman that
cared for him a lot. He had a little
brother. Bach, who’s really kind of
shy and quiet. He’s 12 years old.
He was pretty close to Chris,
they’d always wrestle and stuff.”
“I called him up Monday night
to see what he was doing and I
talked to his brother and he told
me that he wasn’t there. So I asked
his mom for his cell phone number
and she told me that she’d call me
back. I got a call back from her and
she explained to me everything
that had happened. I dropped the
Chris [on right] hanging out with friends and teammates at a
birthday party two days before he took his life.
phone. I went for a walk. Thurs
day was kind of the visual reality
for me with the open casket.
“He has a friend up in Birch Bay
that just moved there. That’s
where I'm from. Chris said, ‘Maybe
on spring break, I’ll go and visit
my friend,’ and I told him, ‘Yeah,
you can stay with me.’ We would
hang out at my place. Maybe take
him up to Canada. Damn, I just
didn’t think that he was ready to
leave life right now.”
From Chris' dad, Randy
“Although he was only with us
for a short time, all we can do now
is look back and be thankful for the
time he was with us.
"To make sure this doesn't hap
pen again, I would tell people to
confide in their friends. And
friends, give all the strengths you
can. Protect your friends, because
you can lose them.
"He told us in his letter that we
weren't to think we had rasied him
wrong.
"The hardest time for me is in
the mornings and in the evenings.
I know he's not here with us...but I
have to convince my mind that he's
really gone.
"The love he had was so strong
and the hurt he felt overwhelmed
that love. I guess he couldn't stand
the hurt."
Then
by Amanda Jenkins
Remember then.
Dreaming of when
Our childhood fears
Would be gone with
years
the
Now we look at the past .
Wondering why it didn't
last.
Days in the hot sun
Always having fun.
Going for a ride
Letting the bike glide.
Biking, sledding,
Swimming, swinging,
Days of old
Never to be sold.
Signs of change
Widely range.
Moving away
No more play.
Friends forever
Talk almost never.
Through the years,
Our lives shift gears.
Laughter, smiles;
Fears, miles,
Distant souls
Drifting goals.
Friendship the art
Connects our hearts.
If anyone would
like to share stories
they have about
Chris, stop by B104
and let us know.
Now that it is when
We dream of Then.
The above poem was found
on the internet.