Christopher Mark Redhead

Christopher Mark Redhead was born in Portland OR in the Fall of 1962. He spent his childhood and teen years in Medford, and then Jacksonville OR, with his parents, a brother Tim, and sister Tina. As a child,he had an uncanny interest in clowns, the circus, and trains. He loved and spent lots of time on a wooden white cow with wheels, and a brown rocking horse that his uncle Bo hand made for the kids. That theme of furry animals continued throughout his adult years, and he developed a special affinity for dogs, all breeds and sizes, for whom he always kept a fresh box of Milk Bones in a cupboard at the house. Every neighborhood dog knew which porch they could step foot on to get a treat from Chris, without having to perform any tricks. A friend from high school had a dad who was a police officer, and Chris oddly became interested in criminology. This interest led to volunteer service as a police cadet, while in high school, and he bragged about learning how to fingerprint people and direct traffic. He also worked part-time jobs in food service at the Bella Union Restaurant, Mick’s Alehouse, and the Jacksonville Bakery, where he did the after school clean up, got covered with white flour, and quickly learned that the big vat of white stuff he scooped up with his hands and put into his mouth was not frosting, but rather Crisco shortening! His outgoing and friendly nature made waiting tables a good fit for him; he loved all of the people contact, and quickly learned that bigger tips came if he gave the kids at the table a lot of attention, and got their food out first while parents were visiting. Later on, he kept up with restaurant catering at the Hilton Hotel in Portland. He had stories about precariously lighting Cherries Jubilee desserts flaming at the table, or dropping a whole lobster on the dining room floor, then returning it to the kitchen for sanitizing, back into the boiling water! His favorite waiter experience, though, was watching the lush greenery go by while serving tables on the sunset dinner train along the Old Oregon Coast Scenic railroad. As a highschooler, he went through the usual 70’s cars like a Pinto (which barely made it up the hill to school), a Mustang, and every boy's dream, a Camero. His last car was a 2021 VW Tiguan with all of the high tech features. He never really did figure out how to use the climate control system, the talking GPS maps, or the personal listening settings on the Sirius XM radio stations. And yes, he had little patience with electronics such as cell phones, computer monitors, or printers. He had 3 x 5 card reminders for the washer, dryer, and all of his multiple work and personal passwords.

As a youth, he had the typical music fascinations of the time like Elton John and “The Cars”, with posters all over his room, and the excitement of attending a concert. In the next decade, that interest evolved into Freddie Mercury and the lyrics of “Queen”. His father had a gun collection, but Chris did not share the same enthusiasm his brother had for guns or shooting. He would talk about how the opening of hunting season was even a school holiday in southern Oregon. Instead, Chris tended to look beyond the end of the gun barrel, and saw a world of travel out there, which he became attached to for the rest of his life! He completed some college, but at only 21 years of age, he headed to Chico, CA to go to an Academy of Travel and Tourism. Upon completion, he returned and briefly worked for a travel agency in Medford. Then, in his early 20’s, he jumped at the opportunity to take a job at American Express in downtown Portland selling leisure travel; there he could book travel for his clients, and vicariously roam the world by land, air, or sea. He was excellent at customer service and would send his favorite clients notecards, gifts, or a bottle of champagne to their hotel room or cabin on board their ship. He was always so excited to meet hotel, cruiseline, or airline representatives coming into the office with their promos. Of course he stopped by all of the downtown airline offices and got to know all the counter staff by first name. He took advantage of the travel industry perks back in those days, like a three day Catalina cruise, a free night in a suite at the five star Fairmont hotel, or a first class upgrade on an international air carrier. Most of those perks are gone, but in 2019 Chris spoke to a reservations manager at the Banff Springs Resort in Alberta, Canada, and explained that he wanted to check out their property for booking future clients. Upon arrival, he was greeted like royalty, shown to a beautiful one-bedroom suite with fireplace, with a captivating view of the snow-dusted Canadian Rockies. That night, at turndown service, there was a plate of chocolate covered strawberries dressed with antlers to look like the park's many roaming Elk. Throughout the years, Chris was known to enter all of the work raffles, and was envied by many for his luck at winning the drawings-even took his family to Disneyland once. For decades, he continued his travel career at Carlson Wagonlit and BCD Travel, although quite alarmed by the impact of Covid on the corporate travel industry over the past two years. He was truly dedicated and reassuring to his customers; one time he was observed taking a late call, risked getting into trouble for overtime, but made sure that a corporate V.P. was not going to be stuck on the tarmac in Frankfurt, Germany because his connecting flight had been canceled. Clients praised him and always recognized his voice, but company awards, reviews, or recognition for professionalism were never his driving force.

Admittedly, the greatest European booking he ever made was taking his mother to London UK, flying First Class, for sightseeing before her death due to cancer. So that big dream of leaving southern Oregon and moving to a big city, ( always liked San Francisco for its culture and vibrance), finally came true with the condo he rented in SW Portland that had an inviting rooftop pool. He loved walking to work, restaurants, Saturday markets, the art museum, the historical society, and events at the Auditorium (opera, ballet, musicals, and the symphony.) He developed many close friendships over the years, some quite eccentric, and took up many social causes such as Cascade AIDS, various Walk-A-Thons, Save the Elephants awareness, and political candidate canvassing. More recently, for the past year, he had been saving returnable plastic bottles for a neighbor who uses the refunds to buy airline tickets for himself and his wife so they can, annually, go visit family members across the country. Chris always took the time to look in on older adults, especially those with declining mobility or cognitive functioning-offered to pick up groceries, prescriptions, or just stop by with a surprise treat. He believed in the wisdom to be gained from listening to them even if their stories sometimes became repetitive.

In Portland he also became an avid bicyclist and was known to ride up to 12 miles per day if he found a scenic road or trail. More recently, he really wanted to participate in Portland’s Naked Bike Ride and, although he never peddled in it, he saw that his bike was loaned out and did make that vicarious and scenic journey. Although never that athletic, Chris did have friends who introduced him to water skiing, and he bragged about how quickly he learned to get up on just one ski. How is it, then, that he managed to keep stepping on his sister’s wedding dress, in his tuxedo and dress shoes, when she got married on the Portland Spirit on the Willamette River? Christopher had a quiet and very personal Spirituality. Proud of completing confirmation classes, as an adult, at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in Portland with his close friend Liz, he enjoyed the grandeur of the church and was particularly moved by the music. He loved going to Holiday services and Evening Song. By the time he reached age 55 he was able to talk about and show pictures of the many other Holy places he had visited: The Vatican in Rome, Saint Mark's Basilica in Venice, Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Montserrat Abbey in Spain, the Sanctuary of Fatima in Portugal, the Cathedrals of Notre-Dame in Paris and Montreal, Westminster Abbey in London, and many other shrines in the U.S. and around the globe. Each sacred visit required enough dedicated time for reflection, votive lighting, and silent prayers. On the non-traditional side, Chris was fascinated by a trip to Sedona, AZ and an arranged personal hike with a Native American guide who took him to non-tourist vortex locations. She asked him to stretch out on a flat rock and guided him through a meditation; he became embarrassed as he began chanting out loud; she calmly explained he had a spirit guide which would occasionally make him sing in the shower, which he validated immediately!

His fascination with meeting people and remembering everything about them was astounding; a stranger did not stay a stranger very long. He once met a couple in Arlington Cemetery waiting one half hour for the changing of the guard, and remained telephone friends for years. Other couples he has met on Oceania or Azamara cruise ships have become “family”, calling them frequently or even visiting their city. Oh, that infamous van ride along the Amalfi coastline, not knowing if we had been scammed or kidnapped by the Italian Mafia! If he booked a room on a high enough hotel floor, he would talk to everyone on the elevator, and by the time they reached the lobby, he knew all about their family, where they were traveling from , what airlines they flew in on, and how long they were staying. If they happened to ask him what to do in that city, he would give them a wealth of knowledge about “ what not to miss”. His secret dream was to become a concierge at a fabulous resort in an exciting city. His desk drawers at home were always filled with cards from concierge staff all over the world, and he always tipped them well upon arrival so he would get the fastest, most helpful, and most honest service for the remainder of the stay. With his coworkers, he liked being part of a group or getting people together for a group, although he reportedly was not as successful doing this with his own family.

In 2007, after a year of personal health scares, Chris was convinced, by coworker Pat at American Express, to contact Raymond, who had just spent a year grieving the loss of his former partner of 12 years. After a short time, Chris went from planning travel for Raymond, to planning travel with Raymond. At age 45, Chris had always been single, and the concept of sharing space and everything else with another person took the slow road to readiness; but with the loving acceptance of the Allen family, he was now part of a close family that loved getting together for meals, the holidays, and vacation travels together. By phone or text he maintained contact with his Medford family. He supported sister-in-law Sonya through Tim's final illness and death, and enjoyed sharing stories with her mother, Linda. Chris was especially proud of his niece Miranda for being the first in the family to graduate from college, and hoped that one day she would get to see all of the beautiful art, museums, and architecture around the world. He loved spoiling her whenever she came to Portland with her friends for concerts. Chris also enjoyed contact with his sister Tina in Alaska and enjoyed watching his other niece, Jadyn, developing interests in dance, taking care of horses, and more recently soccer, as she enters her teen years.

Another beautiful and timely event for Chris over the past two years was using Ancestry DNA to locate a biological sister, Cindi, and her family, living here locally. He had a second birth certificate with a different name, and knew he had been adopted as an infant, but felt there was still an emptiness and fear that maybe he wasn’t loved and thereby abandoned. Reconnecting with this biological family and researching the fascinating history alleviated his lifetime anxiety. He was able to participate in their family events, and was able to have a fitting headstone fashioned and placed in Lone Fir Cemetery for his biological mother.

Christopher had a heart attack while at home with Raymond on Saturday, August 20th. Paramedics were not able to resuscitate him. He had been ruminating about turning 60 this coming October 5th, afraid of growing old or frail, but he finally started thinking about new travel plans or something fun to do closer to home because of the gas prices and airport/airline delays.

Most people will remember Christopher as a big teddy bear, full of fun and laughs, lover of travel, driving skills like Mr. Magoo, and faithful reader of the New York Times( especially arts and entertainment sections with book and movie reviews). His calendar always had the dates and time for the Oscars, the Emmys, the Tonys, the Grammys; and he was sure to remind all of his friends. He had a quirky sense of humor and would always tell the drive-thru window that he wanted his order “To Go”, or ask Popeyes if they had a special on “Big Macs”. Family, friends, neighbors, and care facilities will miss their visits from Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny-nobody could fill those costumes like Chris did.The neighborhood dogs will keep stopping by until all the bones are gone. Your presence will be felt for a long time. Follow your spirit guide.

If you would like to make a donation in Chris’s honor to Oregon Public Broadcast, you may do so on their website, www.opb.org, or call at 1-800-241-8123.