Obituary of Christopher Lee Mares

On March 21st, Christopher Mares, a devoted husband, father, brother, grandfather, and friend, passed away at the age of sixty-six. He died from an enlarged heart, due to a heart valve complication.

Christopher, born in East Los Angeles to Pete Simpson and Alice Mares, was the second-born son in his family. He is a brother to two, Rick Mares and Ron Mares. He graduated from Lawndale High School in 1976, where he met his high school sweetheart, Connie, igniting what would become an extraordinary love story.

Chris continued his education at El Camino College to pursue a degree in Engineering. His first job after college was at Edwards Lifesciences in Costa Mesa, California. He was part of the team that developed the very first heart valve using pig skin.

In the later part of his career, he worked in the Seattle area at Boeing. His engineering roles included Fabrication, and in recent years, Renton 737 Final Assembly. Chris was a proven designer with a track record of resolving numerous commercial airplane production issues and a variety of other engineering problems. He took pride in providing engineering solutions for any critical tasks to support Boeing’s production. At Boeing, he was part of a team to develop an apparatus and method for inspecting a structure by utilizing magnetically attracted probes. By doing so, he earned a US patent, granted on April 20, 2004. Chris was passionate about mechanical engineering and technical design, therefore, he loved what he did for a living.

After marrying in an intimate wedding on May 26th, 1979, Christopher and Connie raised four children together, Brian, Ashley, Chelsey, and Dylan. They were blessed with eleven grandchildren which Chris loved spending time with. Rightfully, he earned the beloved name “Papa Chris”.

Chris was a sentimentalist at heart, treasuring mementos and memories that reminded him of his loved ones. His 1992 5.0 Mustang Convertible served as a symbol of sentiment, ferrying neighborhood kids on joyrides and recently undergoing a meticulous renovation which he was very proud of. Alongside his Mustang, he had a passion for sports, golf, camping, hiking, fishing, music, playing the piano, and more recently, songwriting.

Chris had a presence that radiated joy wherever he went, effortlessly bringing people together through his big smile and infectious laughter. In that, Christopher Mares lived a remarkable life characterized by his warmth, wit, and unwavering devotion to his loved ones. Though his time with us was tragically brief, his legacy of kindness and joy will endure in the hearts of all who had the privilege of knowing him.

Chris was preceded in death by his parents, Simpson and Alice Mares. He is survived by his devoted and loving wife, Connie, their four children, eleven grandchildren, two brothers, four nieces, and three nephews.