Christopher Wilser Bidwell

Chris grew up in East Lyme, Connecticut, then moved to Winter Park, Florida, to pursue a degree in Game Development at Full Sail University. He fully identified as a “Florida Man” and was most comfortable in shorts and flip-flops. His first job was building military simulators, connecting guns to video games for military training. He was a die-hard Tampa Bay Lightning fan and watched almost all of their games.

In 2016 Chris was hired by a casino gaming company and moved to Chicago to develop slot machine games. He played adult rec-league hockey and forged deep friendships with his Slashers and Butchers teammates. In 2017 his brother, Matt, moved to Chicago and got a job working for the same casino gaming company.

Chris was in his happy place living in the West Loop of Chicago, as he was a few minutes away from 3 different hockey rinks, had a huge social circle, and shared an apartment with his brother and his dog, Reinhardt.

Chris and his wife Katie met in the office in Chicago and developed a few games together — she as a Producer and he as a software developer. They gradually became friends and bonded over their love of video games. They officially started dating in July 2018.

Katie started a new job in March 2020, and Chris moved with her to Berthoud, Colorado. COVID lockdowns were in full swing, so building a new social circle in a new state while working remotely was a challenge. Chris eventually landed a job working for a youth sports company in Fort Collins as a web developer. He joined hockey teams at NoCo Ice Center and EPIC.

In January 2021 Chris had to unexpectedly return home to help his mother with a medical emergency. He was gone for 6 weeks, so Katie was alone with a lot of free time. Chris was supposed to return home in time for Valentine’s Day, so she created an elaborate engagement scavenger hunt with rhyming clues to the “roses are red, violets are blue” poem. Unfortunately, Chris was delayed in Chicago due to a snowstorm, so they were officially engaged on February 21, 2021. In June 2021 they adopted a second German Shepherd, Roxi.

In December 2021, Katie experienced a death in her family and made the emotional decision to buy a horse instead of paying for a wedding. She had wanted her own horse since she was a kid and now knew life could be unexpectedly short. Chris was skeptical, but always supportive. He thought he was getting a good deal of not spending tens of thousands on a wedding but didn’t yet realize a horse was the far larger commitment and expense. In January 2021, Katie purchased her first horse.

In February 2021, Chris asked Katie what she wanted to do for Valentine’s Day, and she semi-jokingly answered “get married?” They found an appointment on Valentine’s Day and were married at the Ft Collins courthouse. Katie named her horse “Valentine” to honor their anniversary — she ended up with a white horse instead of a white dress.

The next few years were spent exploring Colorado and making friends. Chris purchased a red Jeep Wrangler Rubicon and learned how to off-road with their new neighbors. They regularly took the dogs paddleboarding at the nearby reservoir. Chris bought an off-roading motorcycle and went on trips with friends. He bought some custom golf clubs and golfed on some incredible courses in the mountains. Life was good.

In July 2023, Valentine developed a tendon injury and had to be moved away from her eventing facility in Ft Collins to a boarding barn with a private stall. Chris and Katie started looking for their own horse property to be able to move Valentine home. In April 2024 they purchased a 2.5-acre property in north Loveland and turned it into a small farm. They bought a second horse, Bonnie, to be a companion for Valentine and mount for Chris. They built a chicken run off an existing shed and raised chicks. Planted a vegetable garden and experimented with making hot sauce and pasta sauce.

Despite being a huge gamer and hockey nerd, Chris fully embraced the western lifestyle. He bought overalls and boots, learned how to drag the pasture with the ATV, how to load and stack hay, how to groom and care for horses, and how to ride.

In December 2024, Chris lost his job through no fault of his own and spent 15 months looking for a new one. He applied to hundreds of jobs but rarely heard back. The Tech industry was hit hard with big layoffs and the introduction of AI. Chris became anxious and depressed but kept pushing hard and learning new things. He started a full semester at Front Range Community College studying GIS, attended NoCo Net for networking, and started volunteering at Hearts & Horses Therapeutic Riding Center. He was charming and funny and everyone that met him enjoyed his company. He was the type to drop everything to help those in need and called his mom almost every day.

In early 2026, Chris received two job offers and chose one that allowed him to work remotely and work with his brother and friends from previous jobs. Things were looking up! But the last few months took a huge toll, and he struggled to settle into his new job. While he deeply loved his wife, his animals, and his friends and family, he struggled to love himself. He found his peace on April 22, 2026.

Chris is succeeded by his wife, Katie, his mother, Arleen, brother, Matt, sisters, Hallie and Jess, and his animals: Reinhardt, Roxi, Valentine, Bonnie, Taco, Fred, and the chickens.

Please visit the website made by the family: www.chriswbidwell.com