When Christopher Joseph Elsmore walked into the room, those in his company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Chris was and how he impacted those around him. Chris was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Chris wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Chris was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve him well throughout his life.
Chris was born on December 25, 1975 at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Fontana, California. He was the son of Richard and Marlene Elsmore. Chris was raised in Barstow, California and Hemet, California. Always at the ready with a good joke, he grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Chris might describe him as an idealist, his friends and family understood well that Chris was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to him.
Chris was raised with Five siblings. He had one older brother, Scott, one older sister, Tammy, and three younger brothers, Adam, Aaron, and Sean. Chris was very accepting and supportive of his family. He was perceived as the central person in his family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Chris was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Chris well in his adult life and, along with his wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew him.
As a young boy, Chris was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew him into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Chris was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with his peers. He was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Chris took part in gymnastics. He was a Eagle Scout. In his spare time he liked to hang out with his friends. Chris had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity he and the many childhood friends he shared might discover.
During his high school years, Chris responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. He graduated from Hemet High School in 1994. Chris was a very good student, and generally did well in his courses. Chris absorbed as much as he could from all of his teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using his imagination to master his assignments. For Chris, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to his ability to turn just about anything into a game. Classmates considered Chris a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to him to discuss just about anything. His favorite class in high school was Music.
Chris did well in college, as a result of his comfort level with tackling new theories and his love of learning. He earned his Culinary Arts degree from Le Cordon Blue, College of Culinary Arts in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chris was very adaptable, a quality that helped him make the transition from high school to college with little difficulty. As a result, Chris's problem solving skills and thirst for new knowledge almost guaranteed that he enjoyed virtually every class he took. Chris was always in quest of new things to learn and experience.
Music was a very important part in Chris’ life. He took piano for several years and loved to sit and play when the freedom to do so was present. In his school years he tried his hand at a few instruments in band as well. At 3 years old I found him in front of the stereo with his mom’s music baton leading the Mormon tabernacle choir that was playing. He was very secure in himself in singing. He would sing along with just about anything on the radio, CD’s, you name it. He just loved music period!! His deep voice would almost rattle the walls. He was not afraid to belt it out and those around him quickly knew of his love to sing and to sit back and enjoy! It was a pleasure to be around him and witness this gift that he had.
With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought him an endless stream of friends, Chris was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Chris was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. He always seemed aware of what was going on with people around him and throughout his life he made many, many friends. While growing up, some of his best friends were John Spoon. Later in life, he became friends with Jon Call.
On December 6, 2002 Chris married Christal Margarita Guardian at St. Francis Catholic Church of Las Vegas, Nevada. Chris's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in his ability to make his new family happy. He was quite sensitive towards Christal's needs, showing his constant concern and fondness. Chris was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served him well in helping to nurture his family.
Chris was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide his family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Chris, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of his life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Elsmore home. Chris's skill at understanding his children's feelings, his sensitivity to their needs, and his gift for gentle persuasion enabled him to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Chris was blessed with three children: Juliana, Amelia, and Adrienne.
Chris was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made him an exceptional worker. His primary occupation was as a chef. He was employed for four years at the Red Rock Hotel and Casino and three months at PT's Pub. Chris was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize him. Chris had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of his gift for insight. Chris's fellow workers saw him as a supporter and a mentor.
Because Chris loved to have a broad variety of activities in his life, he took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. His favorite pursuits were games, riding ATV's, and boating. Chris had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of his favorite pastimes. However, Chris's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.
Chris derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. His charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Recreational sports included softball. Chris was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were baseball, football, and hockey.
Chris's love of improvising in his daily life was a perfect fit for his enjoyment of traveling. His favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit his personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Chris took his vacations seriously, well, as seriously as he possibly could. Favorite vacations included New York, San Angelo, Texas, and Santa Monica Beach, California.
Chris loved nature and life. He cherished the time he spent outdoors and he loved to share that beauty with his family.
Chris passed away on October 21, 2018 at Centennial Hills Hospital in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is survived by his wife, Christal, children, Juliana, Amelia, and Adrienne, parents Richard and Marlene, and siblings, Scott, Tammy, Adam, Aaron, and Sean. Christ memory will continue to be cherished by his large extended family and many close friends. Services were held at The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chris was laid to rest in Palm Northwest Cemetery in Las Vegas, Nevada.
There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Chris. He was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. He had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While he was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Christopher Joseph Elsmore for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Chris was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with his loved ones.
