While his official name was Steven Christopher Early, everyone knew him as Chris … or, to his closest friends, Earls. His mother loved the name Christopher but also wanted to recognize Chris’ father by using the name Steven. Chris liked his name but said, once he left school and went into business, he would begin to go by the name Steve or Steven. In his mind, it sounded more professional.
Sadly, that day never came. Chris was with friends the night of Saturday, July 17, watching their band perform at Flip Flops, a club in Buckhead, when he decided to return home and get some rest before volunteering to help clean up the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Catholic Center the following morning. On his way home, his vehicle overturned on I-75 at the Delk Road exit and rolled multiple times. He was taken to Grady Hospital where he was treated for 13 days before finally succumbing to his injuries and dying Saturday, July 30. He had recently celebrated his 25th birthday.
Chris had a passion for sports – any sports – but his favorite was basketball. He played on a number of basketball teams growing up, including Pope High School’s team. He originally attended the University of Alabama, majoring in business and communications, but his love of sports caused him to leave Tuscaloosa and return home to enroll at KSU where he was majoring in sports management with minors in coaching and marketing. He was active in the KSU Sports Management Club and followed all Atlanta professional sports teams, but his real love was Georgia Tech sports.
Chris worked part-time for a number of local firms and volunteered with the KSU Catholic Center and Habitat for Humanity but, as part of his passion for sports, Chris spent much of his time working with youth basketball. He coached kids in the YMCA, church leagues, East Marietta youth basketball and, most recently, the Georgia Kings 13-and-under boys AAU team. He also ran a basketball league and served as an official for youth basketball games for a number of years. He had hoped to utilize this experience to become a middle school basketball coach before moving on to the high school ranks.
Chris also loved tennis. He had much success as a youth, playing on teams which won 5 ALTA (Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association) city championships and 5 runners-up trophies. He also won many singles titles in Georgia and North Carolina as a junior player.
More than anything else, however, Chris loved his family. He leaves behind his mother and father, Linda and Steve Early, and his sister Meghan Early, as well as his grandmothers, many aunts and uncles, and numerous cousins.
In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations be made to the Knights of Columbus Council 8376, Chris Early Youth Fund. The address is in care of Catholic Church of St. Ann, 4905 Roswell Road, Marietta, GA 30062. The family will be receiving friends and visitors at HM Patterson – Canton Hill Funeral Home this coming Friday, August 6, from 6:00 – 9:00 PM, with the funeral mass taking place at the Catholic Church of St. Ann Saturday, August 7, beginning at 10:30 AM. A reception will follow the mass.
H.M. Patterson and Son, Canton Hill Chapel is honored to be serving the family of Mr. Steven "Chris" Early
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