CHRISTOPHER DONALD REID

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CHRISTOPHER DONALD REID

In the middle of living his life, Christopher Donald Reid, died a sudden, accidental death shortly after midnight on December 13, 2023, in Bogotá, Colombia. His wife, Kate Haley Reid, his parents, Harold Reid, May Wady, and stepfather Michael Farris, his brothers, Michael Reid, David and Émile Huberdeau-Reid, his aunts, uncles, and cousins, and his many friends grieve his tragic loss.

Chris was predeceased by his grandparents, Tom and Phyllis Wady and Frank and Hannah Reid.

Christopher was 45 years old when he died having come into the world as a premature baby of just under five pounds, in Edmonton, Alberta on June 7, 1978. As a baby and toddler, Chris lived in Edmonton and Bonnyville, Alberta, before moving back to Manitoba, with his parents and living in or near the town of Birtle.

Chris and his younger brother Michael were very fortunate to spend their childhood with two sets of grandparents nearby and readily available to lavish lots of love and attention their way. The boys and their grandparents spent many enjoyable hours together, allowing the boys to get to know and learn from their grandparents and the grandparents to watch the boys grow and their personalities develop. Christopher was particularly interested in his Grandpa Tom’s Second World War experience and later named his company Lancaster after a Second World War bomber.

Christopher attended elementary school in Birtle and Foxwarren, graduating from Birtle Collegiate in 1996. As a boy, Chris’ focus was on having fun with friends and sports, such as baseball, hockey, and swimming. Post high school Chris’ entrepreneurial and ambitious nature became evident when he purchased a wholesale confectionary business, named it Gypsy Boy Confectionary, and greatly expanded the business. Eventually, the operation included owning and operating a convenience store in Birtle with his good friend Brent Lelond.

Chris’ experiences and his friendship with David Haun, a hockey teammate from age six, inspired him to apply to St. Francis Xavier University as a mature student. During the summers he worked on the oil rigs as a roughneck; he always carried that experience with him as an oil and gas executive. Christopher loved St. F.X. and Antigonish. He thrived in the academic environment and thought of pursuing graduate work in economics. Chris graduated with an Honours Accounting degree in 2005 and was recruited by KPMG Calgary. Two years later he received his Charted Accountant Designation.

As an accountant at KMPG, Christopher was bright, ambitious, hard-working, and dedicated. He was proud to be a CA and took his job very seriously. Chris appreciated and embraced the mentoring culture at KMPG. He was very supportive of other people’s careers and education. While working at KPMG, Chris got a taste for travel, visiting clients in Turkey and the US.

While Christopher made great friendships at KPMG and excelled in his job, his adventurous and enterprising spirit, and his desire to work in industry and be a part of the action led him to accept a position with Petrodorado Energy in July 2011. He was quickly promoted to CFO. This role fuelled his love for travel and adventure, he made frequent trips to Colombia and travelled throughout South and Central America.

While at KPMG Christopher met Kate Haley of Whitby, Ontario. They were married in Calgary on October 15, 2011 shortly after Chris joined Petrodorado. Kate maintained their homebase in Calgary while Chris travelled for work. Christopher’s promotion to CEO of Petrodorado in 2015 led to extended periods away from home.

Although Christopher dedicated many hours to work during the years he spent in Colombia, his life there was enriched by strong friendships and travelling widely to explore the country’s diverse regions and beauty.

Christopher was a big-picture thinker and strategic; he loved making deals. He was always open to ideas and future possibilities. Since Petrodorado, Chris established Lancaster Capital Advisors, with two partners in Calgary, was the CFO of Medcolcanna, a medical cannabis company which listed on the TXS, and was involved in oil and gas and gold mine ventures.

Christopher was intelligent with multiple interests, including history, documentaries, current world events, football, baseball, and travel. He was a great poker player. He was sharp, funny, and had a great laugh. He had a gentle side and a soft spot for cats; he loved Seth and Cosmo. His broad interests, kind and mentoring nature, and desire to make and maintain friendships helped him form firm and lasting friendships and relate to many different types of people wherever he went. We will greatly miss talking to him, enjoying life with him, and finding out what he might have done next. Love you, Chris.

Visitation and funeral services took place in Bogotá on December 18th and 19th, 2023. Cremation has taken place. There will be a memorial service in Birtle, Manitoba in the second half of July 2024. Details to follow. Donations in Christopher’s memory may be sent to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 13, 2024, Jan 13, 2024