Christopher Arthur Lilienkamp

Christopher Arthur Lilienkamp, 63, of Indianapolis departed life on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at Methodist Hospital, surrounded by family and friends, after a very sudden illness. We are heartbroken not having him with us, but glad for him that he went to be in God’s presence. Chris was born on October 26, 1962, in Indianapolis. Our young family had just moved from Evansville, IN to Indianapolis for Dad’s work.

We know that Christopher would like to share with all -- that Jesus says -- “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” -- John 10:27-28

Christopher was preceded in death by his mother Olga Cerato Lilienkamp, who passed away in February 2023. Christopher is survived by his father, Hugh Lilienkamp, and by his two brothers, Bryan Lilienkamp and John Lilienkamp, both of Indianapolis, plus his Dad and Chris’s two cats Maya and Chia, that he gave great company. Chris will also be deeply missed by his friend, that was as a brother, Philip Abraham. He was just getting to know Chris better especially this past summer, and was helping him communicate and live within Chris’s diverse political home family with more understanding.

Chris was extremely smart and his capture of memories, information, details, and his breadth of knowledge was remarkable. As result of this, someone recently told his family that it was not fun for them to play Trivial Pursuit with Chris, and so perhaps they quit trying.

He was competent and diligent in every endeavor that he undertook. His swim coach just told the family that Chris was always the first one to arrive for practice, and we heard he was often the last to leave. This swim coach also told us that Chris always did everything he was asked to do in his swimming training.

Another one of Chris’s swim team members said that “Chris was a quiet and reserved gentlemen.” Christopher was very private, and often quiet, so now we are all learning about his varied families. Each family/community group knew a unique and different side of him. Not surprisingly, the things we are hearing about him are rich, consistent, and special.

His families and communities include – his Lilienkamp and Cerato families he was born into, his dear chosen church family at Grace Presbyterian Church for decades, and his awesome athletic family of swimmers, cyclists, and triathletes.

He was a decades-long active member of Grace Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. Sharing of himself and his time weekly with his church family was so important to him. At church, he was also teaching classes, and singing in the choir. This community was such an important part of his social life, faith, values, passions and his interests.

Chris was a very competitive and serious swimmer. He swam about 4 days weekly with the swim team Indy Aquatic Masters. He was a cyclist, had he ordered a high-end racing bike custom made to fit his body, and the Indianapolis riding group he cycled with is NEBO Cycling Group.

In Indianapolis, Chris attended Christ the King Grade School and graduated from Bishop Chatard High School in 1981. After graduating high school, Chris attended Indiana University in Bloomington, IN and earned his bachelor’s degree with double majors of Journalism and in Philosophy in 1985. After this he worked for a few years in Indianapolis, before gaining a full scholarship to participate in a double major master’s degree program at Rutgers University in both Newark and New Brunswick, NJ. We remember that Chris researched nationally to find this unique double major master’s graduate program that resulted in his graduating in 1993 with a PhD. in Philosophy and a J.D. in Law. Soon after he passed the bar exam in Indiana, and had been practicing law throughout his life.

Several of Chris’s loves and interests were his music and classic cars. He showed this when returned home with loud music always playing, driving in his mint-condition, burgundy 2007 S-Type Jaguar. He also insisted in using only original Jaguar parts when his car needed repairs. He showed his diligence and attention to detail by cleaning his car almost daily and by not letting it have one leaf on it, parked at the end of the day.

Our father Hugh, and sons Bryan, John and Chris lost our mother Olga Cerato Lilienkamp just a little over two years ago. Olga’s spiritual life and faith in Jesus was very strong. Her youngest son Christopher clearly modeled the faith he learned from her. Her example, prayers and his given name may have been factors. Including that our father, Hugh, is one of the greatest examples of God’s unconditional love, justice, calm, peace and patience that we know. These are the fruits of the Holy Spirit.

We just found out from Dad, that our mother chose Christopher’s name, after already having two boys. I don’t believe she could have picked a more fitting name. Christ in Christopher -- His faith in God, his Christian example.

During his life, Christopher served and gave much of himself to others. He also gave gifts, at the end, of life from his body in the last week of his life. These organ and tissue gifts we hope are presently saving lives, and helping other people live better.

At Christopher’s hospital bed we literally witnessed the beauty and grace of physical life & science combined with faith & the divine. We watched this happen with Chris’s body. We are extremely moved at Christopher’s final work, the last few days of his life, through the amazing work of the doctors at IU Health Methodist hospital and the people with the Indiana Donor Network.

We thank our parents Hugh and Olga, for creating a loving family, and we ask, pray: “Can family and friends, and new ones still to add – please, meet and be together soon, in life to come?”

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Friends are invited on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 for visiting at 10 a.m. to 1:00, immediately followed by a funeral at 1:00 p.m. at Grace Presbyterian Church, 7900 Allisonville Rd., Indianapolis, IN, 46250. All are invited then for burial -- to follow Christopher to Crown Hill Cemetery at 2:00 to respect Chris, and bless his body.

Instead of flowers, consider a memorial gift

in Christopher Lilienkamp’s name to these groups –

• Saint Vincent DePaul, of Indianapolis -- https://www.svdpindy.org/give/

(for food bank, and unhoused people)

• Grace Presbyterian Church, Indianapolis -- https://gracepca.churchtrac.com/

• The Indiana Donor Network – (For organ and tissue gifts)

https://indianadonornetwork.org/donor-memorial/