Chris, slipped away on April 1, 2022, seventy winters behind him, eyes gently shut, heart flung open like a sail catching eternity.
He arrived in Alaska’s diamond cold sky, a smiling promise to a Major and his bride. Childhood was a map of runways and goodbyes.  A California sun, German pine, Texas dust, golf balls clicking across fairways like a compass needle hunting home.
He wore the uniform, then traded it for a handshake that weighed more than any contract. Freedom Security rose on that single note of honor, growing quiet and strong, as his word was the only advertisement a man ever required.
Three times he knelt before Paula with a ring. On the third, she said yes, and they married on a Friday so the calendar itself could keep the Sabbath with them.
He lived where the tide writes its secrets in foam. He could smell redfish on the wind, stop the boat where the water deepened its color, and feed an army with nothing but fire, cast iron, and love. Sunrise bled gold across the intercoastal; sunset poured whiskey into the dunes, and there he sat Paula beside him, Camo and Chester dreaming at his boots as master of the brief, bright kingdom between two tides.
Generosity was his native tongue, laughter his native song. He measured riches the old way: by the circle of light around a night fire, by the number of hearts that leaned toward his without being asked.
Now the bays are quieter. The gulls cry once more and fall silent, as if listening for the whistle he used to call the dogs home.
But look: out beyond the dunes, where sky and sea forget their difference, a boat rides easy on a following breeze. A bearded captain stands at the wheel, coffee in one hand, the other resting on two faithful heads. The sunrise is flawless, the fish are biting, and the grill is already warm.
Walk on, brother.
The water is glass, the wind is kind and every heart you ever touched is still following your wake.

"Rest your oars, we have the watch"

Happy Birthday, Chris.

Hi Paula,  I found the tribute on Facebook and want to express my deep sorrow for you and my childhood friend Chris. I cant believe it. Pat, Randy, and I would love to be included in the Memorial service to honor our friend. If you can find time you  can reach me at 972-979-8307. Love you,  Sam Seidel

I remember my first encounters with Chris in the early 1980's.  My wife, Paulette, introduced me to him, for they belonged to the same business leads club. We slowly became good friends over the ensuing years, mainly because once Chris took a liking to you, he would rarely let you get away.  I did not appreciate it at the time, but he often introduced us his very first home security system customer, that he began his business with.  Looking back, I was not as good at keeping in touch, as Chris was [something that I now regret].  In the many times, we were blessed to get together with Chris and Paula over the last 35 years, they were always warm and caring.  Chris loved his work, he loved his closeness to God's earth, he loved his fishing and hunting.  He lived with a strict consciousness of the conservation and protecting God's beautiful creations.  He was constantly teaching me something about fishing or hunting or boating, while all the time we had fun and enjoyed our hours together.  God has a way of blessing us with good wholesome friends, and sadly, we don't appreciate it enough when they are alive.  Chris was a 'man's man', an exemplary husband and a friend that asked only for your friendship.  Chris will remain a man that we can truly say, "There will be no one like him again!"  I sadly bid farewell to Chris!  Paulette and I will miss him dearly, but we are forever thankful that God gave us his friendship, albeit for just a short time.  See you on the other side, Chris! We love you, Paula! Dr. Alan and Paulette Baribeau

Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Paula, and of course we send our love, Margaret & JK

Chris was the most amazing dog whisperer I have ever known.  I was fortunate enough to have met two of Chris and Paula's labs, Camo and Chester, and it was always a treat for me to watch those dogs perform and follow his commands.  It is so great to see the pictures of his dogs with him while he was actively catching a fish, hunting or just hanging out.  I hope he is enjoying all three of them at once now!

I have lost a dear friend that I will remember forever.  I have so many wonderful memories of great times we shared fishing and hunting together. Thanks for these memories. Until we meet again. Sonny Baker

All my love to Paula Smisek who has always been  like a mother to me. I only talked with Chris a handful of times, but what a lovely person. He was so down to earth, excited, full of life and so kind. I know he will Leave a huge hole in Paula’s life. She was extremely in love with her husband and would do anything for him. My prayers and love go out to all of Chris and Paula’s friends and family, which was many.🤍🤍🤍hugs. Lauren Hilburn

Our entire family is so sad to have lost Chris, Christopher, Uncle Chris. He loved my girls with all his heart, and going through old fishing pictures when they were little, they loved jumping on his lap for a photo. He was an amazing husband to Paula and loved her with his entire soul. We had so many fun times at the coast, and all kinds of fun events over the course of many decades. I loved his laugh, enthusiasm for life, love of animals especially dogs, and the names he made up for everyone. He named me MauWee, a name no one else ever called me.  He was an honest dedicated businessman, and wonderful GCCA enthusiast. He really helped me hone my fishing skills and always said the guys would stop inviting me because I’d outfish them. Chris is without a doubt in heaven with all his labs that crossed the rainbow bridge. He’s now looking down on everyone he loved and smiling with that amazing smile he always wore. He is already missed by all the lives he touched.

My brother, Chris, finally went on his last fishing trip. Now there are those of us that remain. It feels like being one of the walking wounded. The many.  The devastated.  The left behind.  My brother embodied everything that is good and bright in this world. It is a little bit dimmer now that his light has left us and we are all worse off for it.   Someone larger than life that was stolen from this world too soon for my liking.   We were separated by 15 years and yet none at all. For the last 4 years we were separated by 8k miles, yet spoke more than in the past 20 years of my life.  Wherever I was, the phone and Chris would follow.  Now he has gone to the one place I can’t follow.   From the time I was born, until the day he died, I wanted to make him laugh and tell him what was happening in my life.  Chris had always been there since I can remember. Now for the first time in my life I don’t have that…and it feels so empty and confusing.  As though I’m adrift without a rudder or compass.  My brother lived his days at full speed. He absolutely loved ALL things outdoors. He drank deeply from what life and Mother Nature had to offer.  He loved a good simple meal, a good simple drink, followed by a complicated cigar from his giant humidor.  He absolutely loved cooking for other people.  Some of the most bizarre recipes you would ever hear of.., but he would always pull it off with a secret ingredient.    He used to call me at the oddest times, just because he saw something and thought of me.  Whether it was; a fight with a fish, a bird he just blasted, a field of bluebonnets he was driving by, a sunset or sunrise, a new whiskey he just downed, or a cigar he discovered.  I will miss those calls.  He was amazing!  He was the best friend I could ever have hoped or asked for…and I never, ever had to ask.   He had so much kindness throughout his life and built an incredible circle of it around him.  He rarely met someone he didn’t like.  And if he didn’t like a person, it really spoke volumes about that person’s character or lack thereof.  If someone knew Chris and did not like him.., well, you knew who to steer clear of.   Boy how he loved his friends. Almost as much as he loved his wife, Paula. Chris was a fierce friend! Friends weren’t friends, they were family.  If you were fortunate enough to be counted on that immense list, there wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for you.  You were a friend for life.  His handshake was his word and his word was his bond.  That is how he ran his business and his life.    I’ll end this tribute to the greatest guy I was lucky enough to have as a brother with something he told me just a few months ago. “Hey Bro, life gets shorter and shorter, so please don’t end up wishing or wanting for something you always wanted to do”  Life is about the relationships we have.  All of them.  We should live our lives in such a way that we don’t have family and friends.  Make it all family.  So for me and my brother, please go spend time with your family and friends. Give them a big hug and tell them you love them.  Please!

Lisa and I met Chris in the spring of 1975 in what was then West Berlin where we were stationed together in the U.S. Air Force.  We quickly became great friends and that close friendship lasted as long as Chris was with us.  We were all just together to celebrate his 70th.  So many wonderful memories of our dear friend and his lovely wife Paula.  Our times in Europe, skiing, fishing, and just getting together wherever and whenever we could.  God Bless my dear friend.  See you on the other side.  Eddie & Lisa Adams

OBITUARY

Christopher Raymond Smisek

December 3, 1951 – April 1, 2022

Porter Loring Mortuary - McCullough

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services