It is impossible to do justice to such a full and active life in one brief tribute. Chris' zest for life and enthusiasm for his many interests ensured that his was a life well lived. Chris was born on the 6th March 1945 in Armley, Leeds, the much loved son of Francis and Ivy. He died on the 8th March 2010, having bravely fought against an extremely rare disease of the bone marrow. His life was devoted to his wife Mary and family and his many friends whilst pursuing his varied and numerous interests. Chris was educated at The Archbishop Holgate Grammar School, York and remained an enthusiastic member of the Archbishop Holgate Societies in York and London ever since. His love of all things nautical began as a marine cadet in his early teens and lasted a lifetime. He later became an Ocean Yachtmaster and learned to navigate with a sextant and by the stars like his hero Captain James Cook. On leaving school Chris went to work at Rowntrees in York and then Leeds University Hospital in the pathology labs before embarking on a long career with Lloyds Bank. Chris was offered a position in London which was supposed to last only a year. Fortunately, Lloyds kept him in London longer allowing him to meet Mary. Chris married Mary in 1970 and they bought their first house in Feering, Essex where they spent 8 happy years and had 2 wonderful daughters, Tracey and Claire. In 1978 the family moved to ‘Cobwebs’ in Bishop’s Stortford where they lived for 23 years. Chris held various positions in the bank, rising to Manager, before taking early retirement in 1995. Retirement for Chris did not mean taking things easy though. Chris took an IT course which led to him discovering his true vocation which was helping children learn new skills and discover their talents. He spent 7 very happy years at Northgate school, Bishop’s Stortford until moving back to his beloved Yorkshire in 2002. After moving to ‘Little Cobwebs’, here in Holme, Chris soon became active within the community through the Church and membership of the PCC, Neighbourhood Watch and he an Mary made many friends in The Rowans. He continued working in schools with children until finally ‘retiring’ in 2006. After retiring, Chris and Mary enjoyed a well-earned cruise on the QEII to New York and a 3 month tour of New Zealand and Australia. In between, Chris took an epic 3 month voyage as crew on the Soren Larsen. He sailed across the Pacific Ocean in the footsteps of Captain Cook, and spent an entire month of the voyage without setting foot on land. Chris loved to sail, from the small dinghies that he owned over the years to the ocean-going yachts and tall ships that he sailed and raced whenever the opportunity arose. He combined 2 of his great loves by sailing on the replica of Cook’s famous ship HM Bark Endeavour which led to him joining the Captain Cook Society. Chris was a member of the Lloyds Bank Sailing club and was treasurer of the club for several years. Up until last summer, Chris was still sailing and working on The 3 Brothers, an old sailing cobble in Bridlington. Ready for their final retirement, Chris swapped his sailing dinghy for a caravan and Chris and Mary became active members of the Coachman Owners Club. Their caravan also enabled them to spend a lot more time in Whitby where they volunteered in the Captain Cook Museum. His encyclopaedic knowledge of Cook and friendly manner made him a hit with many visitors. Chris loved to share his enthusiasm for Captain Cook. He gave many talks on the subject and was even asked to deliver a lecture at the National Maritime Museum. Many of his talks raised funds for the Anthony Nolan Trust and All Saints Church. Chris made friends during his childhood that he was to maintain throughout his lifetime. These precious friends came to be thought of as family by Chris, Mary and the girls: Dorothy and her late husband Jim Hobbs; Elizabeth, her late husband Philip, and their children Marie, Yvonne and Philip. When Elizabeth later married Bert, he too became a dear and much loved part of the family. Liz entrusted the care of her young children to Chris on many occasions, despite him being only a teen himself. At the age of 16, Chris was asked by Liz to be Godfather to her youngest daughter, Yvonne. He proved to be caring, dutiful and conscientious in this role. His extended family continued to grow more recently with the addition of Tracey’s fiancée, Chris and his children Charlotte and Matthew and Claire’s partner Tony and his daughter, Hannah. Chris was very fond of his cousins Jean, Maureen and Malcolm and phoned Jean every week. Chris made many more friends over the years and had a genuine love for them all. He kept in contact with them wherever in the world they ended up and one friend, Andrew Hearn has flown from Australia to be here such was the strength of their friendship. He touched the lives of so many more, as the hundreds of kind messages and memories that Mary, Tracey and Claire have received testify. Mary, Tracey and Claire would love to mention all of the relatives and friends who were close to Chris’ heart but the list is too long. As Chris always had a gift for letting people know how much they meant to him, I am sure you will know who you are. Chris was always looking forward and had no intention of letting his illness curtail his many plans. For every item that was completed on his ‘to do’ list, 3 were added to the bottom. He was planning caravan holidays to Whitby, his 40th Wedding anniversary, renewing his vows with Mary and was looking forward to giving Tracey away at her forthcoming wedding. Chris’ was a life well lived in every sense. Although his life was cut short I think we can all agree that he left nothing unattempted.