PLYMOUTH ---- Christopher 'Chris' Charles Lemay, 33, a loving son with an easy-going personality, passed away peacefully and quietly on Monday, January 3, 2022, after an eleven-day battle with pneumonia, his lifelong nemesis. His parents were continuously at his side in this latest battle and his loving and supportive brother and sister were able to visit him to say goodbye in his last days with us.
Chris was born on Valentine’s Day 1988, in Laconia, and resided in Meredith most of his life, living his last years in Plymouth. He had a drive and persistence in his personality that taught his family many things, but most importantly diversity, inclusion, compassion and the value of a differently-abled person. Chris was the child that would go on a ride and never ask where we were going or when we would get there. He loved riding by car or boat and would almost never fall asleep but constantly would watch where he had been and where he was going.
Two of Chris’s strongest assets were his memory and his vision. If Chris went to a place once he would always remember that location and the next time you went by there his face was quick to show his pleasure or displeasure with that location. If you watched Chris’ eyes you could usually understand what he was thinking but was not able to say. This skill was shown early on with his first bit of whole food being a chocolate chip cookie at his grandmother's. Chris was also known for being able to clear a table faster than any waiter even thought of, so careful attention to his arms and sometimes his legs were always needed. This went along with his mother’s sense of humor and the best little laugh you ever heard.
Chris attended the Interlake School system riding on a wheelchair-equipped bus from the end of his driveway each day with his siblings and neighbors just like other students. One snowy day when the bus got stuck with the wheelchair exit door in the snowbank it was the neighborhood friend who made absolutely sure Chris was going to be safe before the bus was towed. Chris had caring friends and staff at Interlakes, but he also could easily sense those people that weren’t accepting of people with different abilities.
Chris went to Crotched Mountain School (CMS) for what his parents called his post-secondary education with a major in Communications. At CMS Chris lived in “House 9” with other men and women. Chris shared one of the bedrooms with another boy and they changed the pairings every few months to get to know each other's personalities. While at CMS Chris learned many things but most importantly, he learned about friends, peers, and people. At CMS he was surrounded by others with different abilities who accepted each other and became friends. If you knew Chris, he was often called a wiggle worm because when not in the constraints of his wheelchair he could get around quickly. One morning at CMS they found he had moved from his bed to an adjacent one to say hi to a friend. One of the first questions Chris was asked at CMS was what sports did he participate in. Well up until that point the answer was none. CMS said everyone here does a sport and he got started in bowling, downhill skiing, and track beginning his journey with Special Olympics (SO). While at CMS Chris taught his parents that he enjoyed being with his peers like any other young adult and that other people could keep Chris healthy and safe. CMS had a great group of people that cared for Chris and his peers. After leaving CMS Chris would be invited to annual “House 9” reunion gatherings hosted by Jan, his former house manager. He always enjoyed those reunions and seeing old friends, teachers, and direct support professionals.
When Chris left the CMS he moved to a three-bedroom home in Plymouth. This allowed him to remain somewhat independent from Mom and Dad yet close enough so they could still be part of his life. Chris was self-employed as a tax-paying cooperative business owner at Boomerang Used Furniture and attended auctions and various sales looking for a good deal and meeting people. Chris enjoyed meeting people and making bank deposits for Boomerang but dusting was not his favorite chore and he would often catch a cat nap when he was supposed to be dusting.
When Chris moved to his home in Plymouth he continued SO with the newly formed Winnipesaukee Warriors Team organized by Melissa, Deb, Lisa, Chris’s mom, and others. His main events were bowling, track and field, and basketball. Chris always loved pizza so he especially enjoyed the pizza parties after SO events. But for Chris, SO was about the people more than the competition. During bowling, he would sometimes pay more attention to his friend’s alley than his own. He just liked being there with friends. When Chris did wheelchair or stander races many times, he would stop in the middle of the race to look at the people in the stands and have to be urged to stop people watching and finish the race.
Chris enjoyed the Adaptive Snow-Skiing program at Waterville Valley and the Adaptive Water-Skiing program at Squam Lake. Chris always loved going fast and waterskiing was a perfect fit. Chris loved boat rides and his favorite part was going through Sally’s Gut on Winnipesaukee with his family and Dad at the helm. Chris also enjoyed being in the water whether it was a bathtub or the lake. In the bathtub, his wiggle worm abilities could be managed relatively easily but in the Lake, watch out, he was like a slippery fish. He enjoyed dunking his head and never understood that he couldn’t drink the whole lake.
Although much shorter than expected Chris’s family, friends, and the people around him tried to make his quality of life the best it could be. When diagnosed with BCAP31 a few years ago it was determined that Chris had already lived longer than any others in the world with this disease. His doctor said, “Well, it appears he has had a very good quality and care of life already so keep up the good work!” For being nonverbal Chris taught us all many lessons about life that are very important. Chris was fortunate to have the great LRCS direct support professionals at OWB these last 12 years of his life and the staff behind them to continue the great care he received from his doting Mom throughout his life.
Chris is survived by his Mom and Dad, Gary and Valerie Lemay; brother Gary Lemay, and his wife Heidi; niece Calla; sister Lauren Lemay Short, and her husband Darrel; nephew Logan; as well as a large group of loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews. Chris was predeceased by his aunt Donna Woodaman and his grandparents Ralph and Marguerite Lemay and Elaine and Tom Auger.
Chris’s family would like to thank Speare Memorial Hospital for the excellent care and compassion Chris and his family received in his last few days.
A Celebration of Chris’s life will be held later this year if pandemic conditions subside with a private family gathering at the cemetery later.
Please hug your children, remember their unique and special qualities and reflect on what they have taught you.
In lieu of flowers please consider making a donation in Chris’s memory to our local caretakers of the developmentally disabled Lakes Region Community Services who will work with Chris’s parents to contribute a portion of the donations to the local Special Olympics Winnipesaukee Warriors Team. www.lrcs.org/giving/donate
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services and 603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit www.wilkinsonbeane.com.