In memoriam of our dear friend PaHunter

[tiggerdad]

I was looking for an opportunity for us Disers that knew Chris and were around him to have a place to post some memories of him. Looking for stories, but also pics of you have any.

One of mine was being at Gulf State Park and standing on the walkway over the highway and seeing for the first time, that bright yellow Volvo coming down the way. I'll have to pull the pic I took and post it when I'm back at my computer.

 

[2goofycampers]

We were looking forward to getting to know Chris at the Pigeon Forge Dis-Meet. Unfortunately, it was just a quick hello. He was a great addition to the camping forum and will be greatly missed.

 

[garneska]

My first memory was seeing the amazing phots from his Disney trip on the forum. I mean amazing. it took him a while to edit them so I always looked forward to when his trip report would update.

when I met him in person, we were at Gulf shores and still had Mallory. He took some great pics of us.





picutures courtesy of Chris

 

[tiggerdad]

You mention pics he took of others, I had not not thought of that. From his trip report at our Gulf State Park meetup in 2018:




I found this from our Dismeet at FW in 2020. It was last time Chris visited the "Holy Land" that brought us all together. That's me in white shirt talking to Chris.

 

[tigger92662]

Ok, I'll try to keep this clean. DW and I and the kids went to Hollywood Studios the same day as Chris/Jenn & Kris/Bert.
At the 2nd time slot, everyone was trying to get in the queue for ROTR.
I called Kris and told her we had gotten on virtual queue for ROTR, she was on speaker and I heard Chris in the background say "you s--k".
Fortunately, they eventual got on

 

[JETS70]

Teresa and I had the opportunity to meet Chris and Jenn at the Pigeon Forge Dismeet. We were able to take a ride on the motorcycles and had a great time. We could tell Chris wasn't feeling his best at the time but was still enjoying his time out on the bike. Prayers for Jenn, Reba and Chris's family.

Steve and Teresa

 

[garneska]

@tigger92662 i remember that. Which brings me to my next memory. Chris, Jenn, Bert and I did the Millenium Falcon ride. Bert and i were pilots and Chris and Jenn were shooting ships. I was a TERRIBLE pilot. I think I made most of us sick with how bad i was making the machine go. We laughed incredible hard about it when we got off. Chris and Jenn scored the afternoon RotR while we continued to strike out. Still have not been on the ride but hoping for Jan.

 

[tiggerdad]

Anyone with us on the 2018 Gulf State Park meetup remember how mad Chris got at The Yard for how bad they kept messing up his milkshake? Man he was fired up!

 

[garneska]

I did not go but i heard the story!

 

[friendofeeyore]

Arnold myself was at the 2018 GS. We were so excited to see Chris big yellow truck drive by us. That trip was cut short because of a hurricane that was to hit GS, but hit Florida. My prayers are with Jenn, Reba & his families. Knowing Arnold (Grumpy Aggie), he was at the pearly gates welcoming Chris home.

 

[jbrostek]

For how often we sent back and forth stories, plans and messages. I rarely got to see Chris and Jenn in person. I actually never got to see the big bird towing his old trailer. I did see him July 4th weekend 2020 when he and Jenn Rode up to visit us west of Chambersburg, PA and again early May 2022 at French Creek State Park. Yet with that we managed to keep in touch, share projects, and stories of our mistakes along the way of completing said projects.

I am glad to call him a friend, to reach out and cheer him on over the last two years. I was really happy when we found out that we had a chance to catch up earlier this year when we happen to book the same state park for mothers day weekend. Sadly the weekned was a near rain out and some areas saw some record flooding. Yet I was glad to see him out camping and excited for them to feel some normalcy.

I will miss his posts, pictures and videos.

 

[garneska]

If you have not checked out the obituary yet or did it earlier, there is now a tribute video up.

https://www.boyerfamilyfuneralhomes...0000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001/TributeVideo

 

[tigger92662]

Thinking back now on the small amount of time we had with Chris, but the ridiculously huge impact he has made on all of our lives.

Didn't a day go by when I didn't think about Him & Jen, and those days and memories will not stop.

As we all get older, keep your family and friends near to you, even if it's just to say Hi and catch up.

 

[Teamubr]

We will miss you Mike and Michael. I'll pass along your condolences and hug Jenn for you.

A funny story about when Chris and Jenn bought the big yellow truck. Chris had found this truck at a place outside Kansas City. I knew he would be coming in on I-70 from PA. I live a few miles from the interstate they would be taking coming through. Because we had been chatting on the DIS for a long time, he felt like a close friend so I asked if he and Jenn wanted to stop here for the night and have an easy 4 hour drive to pick up Big Bird the next day. They took us up on it and we had a great evening getting some dinner and talking about Disney and life. I don't recall if this was the first time we met in person. I know we were at Disney right after Irma and I think we met on that trip, but I've told that story to non-DIS friends and they thought it was so strange I would invite a "stranger" to stay at my house.

Like many of us on here, even though we haven't met face to face, I consider many of you friends. I will have more frequent and meaningful conversations with you than I do my extended family.

Chris, you will be missed. I hope we can get Jenn on here occasionally to let us know how she is doing.

j

I posted this on the wrong topic, so I'll drop it over here too.

Sorry for the double post.

On my way to Chicago to meet Tigger92662 for the drive over to Harrisburg tomorrow.



j

 

[Sjm9911]

Just saw this a few minutes ago, tbh , still shook up. While I only met them once , it was a great and memorable camping trip. It was after he was sick and on the mend.

 

[Sjm9911]

Not the best picture, but this is what it is all about, friendship and campfires. Tbh, i like the picture as it captures that. You see people , but they are all of us. And thats where I see chris now, sitting around a campfire, just blending in having fun and loving what hes doing. Stories told, drinks of choice drank, no cares in the world. God bless my freind.

 

[friendofeeyore]

What a wonderful tribute to Chris. I feel the same way about our Dis friends. We may never meet in person, but I feel like we are family. My continue prayers for Jenn as she starts a new life without her Chris. I know Reba is missing her Daddy. I just hate cancer & how it destroys such wonderful people. May our precious Savior give Chris family the strength only he can!

 

[BroadwayHermione5]

I hadn’t heard he had passed. He was such a lovely human to talk with on these boards.

My condolences to his family and friends.

Rest peacefully PaHunter!

 

[Stratman50th]

I'm glad I got to meet Chris at the Oct. 2020 DISmeet. I regret not being able to arrange my schedule sooner so I could have been in the same loop as all of you and spent more time with the gang than we did.
We PM'd a few times with him asking about Class As, pros and cons etc. Going to miss him.

 

[bama_ed]

My one regret is that I don't have a good picture of Christ that is my own. I'm so conditioned to avoid taking pictures of faces on DIS trips that I don't have a clear one of him.

I take comfort in the fact that I have hanging in my living room a Chris Bowman original photo print in large, matted, framed color of the WDW Magic Kingdom locomotive #4, the Roy O Disney, that was given to me at the October 2020 DISMeet at the Fort. He was a maestro with his camera.

Chris loved taking pictures and would take HUNDREDS on his trips all in clear high definition. The framed photo on my wall will take on an additional special meaning now that he's gone.

May God bless him in Heaven and Jenn/family too.

Bama Ed