Christopher CHREST

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CHREST: It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of our dear Father, Grandfather and friend, Christopher Chrest. Dad passed on Tuesday, May 12, 2009 at the Brandon Regional Health Centre at the age of 92 years, with his family at his side. Chris was a lifelong resident of his beloved Brandon where he was born on April 12, 1917 to parents William and Ellen, recent Macedonian/Greek immigrants to Canada. The family’s Greek heritage and work ethic were strong foundations of Chris’ early years. As a boy, he worked regularly shining shoes in his father’s shoe repair business. Typical of the era, upon achieving his grade 9 graduation certificate, he joined the family business on a full-time basis. In the mid 1930’s, his father opened “Chrest Dry Cleaners” which would become a well known Brandon business shared by Chris and his brothers for four decades. Chris’ affable nature and the businesses prominence in downtown earned him the nickname of “Rosser Avenue Greek” coined by several of his friends and customers. When the dry cleaners closed in 1976, Chris continued his self taught skill of tailoring clothing both as a home based business and again on Rosser Avenue at Don Gardner’s Clothes. Chris was active with the Boy Scout movement, a long time member of the Kiwanis Club, an avid 5-pin bowler, active with Park and East End Community Centres, a longtime member of St. Mary’s Anglican Church and had a lifelong enjoyment of baseball. Chris was an extremely outgoing and social person and he was known as a joker and the “life of the party” in almost any setting. He and his wife of 65 years, Wilma, loved to attend social gatherings with their many friends and they especially loved to dance. Chris’ happy nature was infectious right up to his passing as he would continue to phone friends, send letters and share pictures and developed a special affection for the nurses at the hospital and for “his girls at Leon’s”. Above all else, Chris was especially devoted to his family. He was the most loving and loyal of husbands to Wilma and an amazingly positive, dedicated and loving father to his three children and, whenever possible, to his grandchildren as well. His special traits, positive attitude, strong ethics and happy disposition have been passed down to his children and grandchildren; his legacy which lives on in them. Chris is survived by his three children, daughter Shirley Martin of Akron, Ohio; daughter Linda (Colin) Biel of Brandon; and son Rick (Karen) Chrest of Brandon. He is also survived by his precious grandchildren Brad (Crystal) Martin, Colleen Biel (Trevor Whale), Kaitlin Loewen, and Brett and Dylan Chrest; his great grandchildren Josh and Brandi Nipper, Brandon and Kyle Martin, Tyler, Tiffany and Tyson Whale, and Michael McCurry. As well by his last surviving sibling, brother Nick Chrest and his sister-in-law Donna Locchead as well as a niece and three nephews. Chris was predeceased by his Wife Wilma on May 7, 2008, by his parents William and Ellen, by siblings Esther, Norman, Mary Vandale, and Irene McVay and by granddaughters Sherry (Martin) Nipper and Cindy (Biel) McCurry as well as numerous relatives and special friends. A celebration of Chris’ life was held at the Brockie Donovan Chapel, on Friday, May 15, 2009 with Rev. John Dolloff of St. Mary’s Anglican Church officiating. Interment occurred at Rosewood Memorial Gardens. Pallbearers were Bill Gould, Ken Gould, Bill Chrest, Bob Chrest, Nick Vandale, Kevin Groff, and Jim Brown. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Chris may be made to the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, 150 McTavish Avenue, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 2B3 or to a charity of choice. Messages of condolence may be placed at www.brockiedonovan.com.

As published in Brandon Sun on May 16, 2009