Christopher Hudson

Imagine someone whose heart is his strongest muscle, and you begin to get an idea of the sort of person Christopher Lee Hudson was. He never emptied himself of love for his friends, family, and brothers, and you always found him happy, singing a tune or writing in his notebook.

Christopher was born at Butterworth Hospital on December 28, 1982, the third of four boys in the family of Lyle Jr. and Nancy Mathieu Hudson. Chris was a typical boy, with an excitement for life and an adventurous spirit. He and his brothers Lyle, Andrew, and Jamie often joined up with the neighborhood kids to play basketball, soccer, or baseball. When he was young, he had a set of drums which, according to his brothers, only produced noise. He never kept up with drums, and instead put his time into traveling with his family. Together they went all over the country, from Yellowstone to South Dakota and even around Canada. In Wyoming, he tried to climb to the top of Devils Tower, and he went as far as he could without using a rope. He loved to climb, whether it was trees or hills, anything. Once his zest for life even inspired him to take a "polar bear" swim through a lake in the winter. He went alone, just him and the polar bears.

Always a family man, Chris would make a special point to speak to everyone when the family got together. You'd also see him before you stepped out the door to leave, there to say goodbye to you with a smile on his face. He was a kind, caring, and loving person who made friends very easily and had the ability to talk to anyone. He was close with all of his brothers, but he and Jamie had a very special bond. They were joined at the hip--if you went looking for one of them, you'd find them both.

Christopher attended Blessed Sacrament, Sacred Heart, and St. James Elementary Schools, and attended West Catholic High School during his freshman year, before moving onto Horizons High School where he graduated with the class of 2002. The best day of his life was just after he graduated, when he bought his house at 308 Fransman SW on the West Side. He enjoyed being a homeowner, and he took pride in fixing up his home. He was very proud to own his home, and he liked to entertain his brothers and friends.

Not everyone can buy a house when they're only twenty years old, but Christopher made it possible by working at the local Meijer since he was sixteen years old. He started his job in the bottle room, then went into the grocery department, and had been there ever since, working full-time. He still found a lot of time for fun. He had all the video game machines, from the original Playstation and its follow-up to the X-box, and a whole slew of games. He also had plenty of movies to watch, and he especially liked the action flicks. He liked to catch Notre Dame football games with his grandpa, and his stereo often shook to the beats of rap music or rock from the 60's and 70's.

Eminem was Christopher's favorite rapper. He liked his beats and lyrics, and Christopher often followed in his example by writing his own lyrics and rhythms. He had a talent when it came to the blank page. He wrote many volumes of poetry, and several of his poems saw publication. He carried a notebook wherever he went, one that he filled with his thoughts, dreams, and lines of poetry. This notebook literally went with him everywhere, and whenever a thought stuck him, his pen was poised--even if he was driving. If you saw him behind the wheel of his car, one of his "winter beaters", his Chevy Lumina, it probably wouldn't surprise you to notice a few new dings on his fender or a dent in his door--his creative mind simply had too much energy to wait for a stoplight to jot down his latest thought or idea.

Christopher always had an ability to smile, to enjoy life. He loved to eat, and he would eat just about anything and everything. At the dinner table, he'd turn an ordinary fork-and-knife entre into a sandwich by slicing a roll of bread in half and putting whatever they where eating into the middle. He could eat an entire loaf of his Grandma Welcher's homemade bread, and Grandpa Mathieu's goulash was another treat he ate in great quantities. He especially enjoyed spending weekends at his Grandma and Grandpa Mathieu's home in the country. Most of all though, Christopher got his kicks in life out of the people who surrounded him, his parents, his brothers, and the many friends that he loved, like Jeremy, Paul, Steve, the Green Brothers, Steve and Donald, Cory and AJ, and the Tarachanowizc boys, Rachael and Elliot. He was especially excited about the two new babies that would soon join the family. He loved his nephew Alonso, and spent alot of time playing with him.

Chris also had a good sense of humor. His mom recalls that whenever he left a message on her cell phone it was always the same: "call me back...I'm the good looking son...you know which one"

Christopher passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday evening, October 6, 2004. Chris is survived by his fiance', Nikki Bartosiewicz; his mother, Nancy (Arthur) DeCamp; his father, Lyle Hudson Jr.; his brothers, Lyle (Donna) Hudson III, Andrew Hudson, Jamie (fiancé Morgan Wyatt) Hudson; his step-brother, Arthur DeCamp Jr; his grandmother, Janet Welcher; his grandfather, Clement A. Mathieu; his nephew Alonso, and many friends. The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Church on Monday afternoon at 1:00 PM with procession to Resurrection Cemetery. Relatives and friends may meet his family at Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW, on Saturday evening from 7-9 and on Sunday from 2-4 and 7-9 with a rosary service on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 PM. Please visit Chris’s personal website at www.lifestorynet.com where you can read his life story and leave your memories of him. Please consider contributions in his memory to offset funeral expenses.

Christopher was a gifted writer. He was a loving son, brother, and friend to all who knew him. He will be greatly missed and forever remembered by the many, many people who loved him.

Awaiting Their Reunion

I remember with remorse

Mostly good times of course,

When Grandmother would say

“Come play cards later today.”

But now she’s passed away,

With a better hand to play.

Even though we’ll all miss her

We know she’s waiting for her mister.

My Grandfather’s heart yearns

As he patiently waits his turn.

Wanting to reunite with his Mrs.

And give her well deserved hugs & kisses.

With love, dedicated to the greatest

grandfather in the world, and the only

one grandfather I’ve ever known.

--Written by Christopher Lee Hudson