Christopher Allen Combs

“Life is a journey, not a race.” – Anonymous

Chris’s life was a journey of many pains and passions, sufferings and successes, trials and triumphs that he embraced each day of this journey with humor and determination to live life to its fullest. He was a curious, creative, caring, and committed individual who left an impression on everyone he met as well as his true impact which has yet to be completely experienced.

ACT I: Curiosity – “Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.” Samuel Johnson

Christopher Allen Combs was born on August 18, 1974 to Almer Ray and Martenia C. Combs. He was the first child and the only son to come from their union.

As a child, Chris showed himself to be very curious and at times quite mischievous. One of Chris’s most infamous mischievous moments was when he was two years old. While playing in the kitchen, Chris “being curious” opened the cabinet under the sink and found a can of Crisco oil. He decided to bathe himself in the Crisco grease. Needless to say, he was as slippery as a fish and it took quite a bit of time to clean the oil off of him. Over the years, Chris’s curiosity continued to grow and reveal his crafty intellect, as his antics became more sophisticated and creative in nature. This behavior earned him quite a reputation with many of his teachers throughout his scholastic career.

ACT II: Creative – “Creativity is intelligence having fun.” Albert Einstein

Chris was very talented. In high school, he competed in track & field events for the shot put and discus. He also played football throughout his high school experience which earned him a full-ride scholarship to Fort Hays University in Fort Hays, Kansas.

While in high school, Chris sang in several choirs and was invited to participate in the most exclusive choir known as the Madrillaires. In this choir, he travelled and performed in numerous singing competitions, concerts and music fests. Chris loved to sing! His singing talents transferred to the church where he sang in various church choirs and praise teams. His love for music prompted him to teach himself how to play the drums, which he became quite skillful, later adding the keyboard.

Chris’ music aptitude was not the only talent he brought to the church, he was a poet and a “Spoken Word” performer. He wrote numerous pieces that celebrated loved ones, addressed the conditions of the 21st Century Church and the ideas of “Being In The World But Not Of The World”. Chris additionally was a great actor where he exceled at bringing every character, he played to life through his natural ability to perform commanding the center of attention. His comedic presence, that he often displayed at school, made rehearsals long, yet so much fun. His very social, demeanor made friends easily as he enjoyed making people laugh. This talent aligned well with one of his life’s purposes.

ACT III: Caring – “For there is always light if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” Amanda Gorman

Searching for his life’s purpose, Chris’s journey led him to dabble in a variety of professions. He was a server at a couple restaurants, produced a rap CD, and worked at car rental company. Chris would eventually find his passion and purpose working with at-risk youth. He had a heart and a special kind of empathy for young people from troubled backgrounds and experiences. In preparation for his future work with at-risk youth, he attended Metropolitan State College where he walked into his Abnormal Psychology class on the first day and asked the class, “Did your parents ask you if you were taking this class to learn more about yourself?” Of course he received quite a laugh from the class. This was typical Chris behavior.

After earning his Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Metropolitan State College, Chris worked as a youth advisor at the Colorado Youth At-Risk Organization. During this time, he discovered a knack for teaching and started working in the career path of “Before and After School Care.” He worked with urban youth at the Sims-Fayola Foundation until he could not physically work any longer. Their mission is to improve the lives and outcomes of boys of color. Chris was so passionate about this life assignment that even after his leg amputation, he expressed the desire to get back to work with “his boys.” Chris did return to work after being medically cleared and continued to teach in this program.

Chris’s community engagement was not confined to just working with at-risk youth, he also served as president of the Local Resident Council (LPC) at the Thomas Connole Apartment Complex where he was a resident. In this role Chris organized various social events, served as an advocate on behalf of the residents for building improvements and increased access to various resources. As a liaison between residents and apartment management, he faithfully served in this role from 2018-2020, even while receiving care at a rehabilitation facility where he still “served from his Rehab bed on zoom meetings”, per Ms Barb Evans-Small, MSW. Chris enjoyed serving and was committed to the betterment of others and himself.

ACT IV: Committed – “Commitment is an act, not a word.” Jean Paul Sarte

On his journey, Chris accepted the call to ministry and became committed to developing his knowledge about God and ministry. He engaged in several classes that assisted him with this endeavor such as Training for Service, Pastors’ Training, and Christian Doctrine. These classes spoke to Chris’s curiosity about God, the Bible, and ministry while preparing him for his assignments as Christian Education facilitator and Men’s Ministry member.

Although committed to the church, Chris also showed a great commitment to his family. He loved family reunions and made a lot of effort to stay connected to distant relatives across the country. He loved his nieces who he fondly named “The Puddincup Girls”. You could always find him either playing video games with Bria or coloring with Niara. Chris also starred in a couple of Niara’s holiday plays that were performed usually on Christmas day.

Chris was a great big brother, a loving son, and a mama’s boy. He loved his mother and often spoke highly of her, letting others know that he loved and was proud of his mother. He often told her how much he appreciated her being there for him and being an advocate for him when it came to his medical needs. She will miss hearing him say, “I Love You Mom.”

Chris is survived by his parents Almer Ray and Martenia C. Combs, two sisters Tammy Monique “Tweedles” and Rebekah Denise “B”, two nieces Bria Genesis “Jenkins”, Niara Lanay “Panini”, and a host of aunts, uncles and cousins.

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