Obituary of Christopher Jay Fabry

Chris Fabry, gentle giant, beloved son and brother, hero uncle and cherished partner "shuffled off this mortal coil" on May 10 from his childhood home in Fairfield with his family at his side.

Chris was a graduate of Roger Ludlowe High School in Fairfield and attained his BS and MS degrees in Biology from Western Washington University spurred on by the relentless encouragement of his mentor Roger Anderson. He went on to inspire countless other students through the many trips he led doing fieldwork in the Alvord Desert in Oregon. Along with his life partner, Joni Riccitelli, he was a founding member of Ecological Methods LLC, working with species of concern in the Mojave Desert.

Chris was a venerated disc golf player and member of the Professional Disc Golf Association from 2005 - 2014. His love for the sport was passed on to many friends and relatives over the years.

At the height of their popularity, his Trivia Night events at Uisce Irish Pub in Bellingham, WA were standing room only, challenging fire codes even as they stimulated minds.

Chris was a roving landmark at countless Phish and Grateful Dead concerts for his towering stature and distinctive beard. Phish phans and Deadheads thrilled to a sighting of him loping and gamboling throughout the many venues where he was in attendance. He could hold up his end of a conversation on any subject with perspicacity and aplomb, not to mention his remarkable vocabulary. Memories of his trip to the Riviera Maya concert in Cancun in February 2020 kept him going through the tough year that followed.

In addition to his parents, Andrew Jay Fabry and JoAnne Gondar Fabry, Chris is survived by his older brother, Scott (Debbie) of Grantham, NH; sister Susan Daniels (George) of Durham, CT; niece Isabelle Fabry and nephews Cole Fabry and Martin, Patrick and Eddie Daniels, as well as his beloved work and life partner, Joni Riccitelli of Las Vegas, NV.

Christopher's niece and nephews were delighted by his pranks, particularly at the expense of their parents, and his crazy humor that sometimes bordered on bawdy. He was their hero. They will treasure time spent with him, especially his visits to Connecticut and New Hampshire where for a brief but memorable vacation he was the Prince of Chalk Pond.

Chris' studies and work brought him to all four corners of the contiguous United States, amassing friends in Connecticut, New Hampshire, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Georgia, California and Nevada. The incalculable return on these enduring friendships were evident in the dozens of visitors, letters, gifts and calls that came in over the final months of his life, from his first best friend, Chris Parisi and classmates at St Thomas Aquinas school to his fellow environmentalists. Joni and the family would particularly like to thank Chris and Crystal Bedwell, Kathy Simon, Claire Hilsinger, Morgan Kincaid and Kate Ramsden and all the others who kept Chris laughing and comfortable in his illness.

He watched his Bronx Bombers win their Mother's Day game on his last full day of life.

Cancer Centers from UCLA to Yale were vying to treat his rare and sexy neuroendocrine tumor, but ultimately, Christopher decided that living well and dying with grace and dignity were his priorities. His family would like to thank Middlesex Health Palliative Care and MH Cancer Center and The Connecticut Hospice for making this possible.

Christopher was a true humanitarian who scrambled for loose bills whenever he encountered a fellow human with a cardboard sign. He tipped generously and donated his first pandemic stimulus check to the out-of-work servers in the Las Vegas area. He gave away at least two cars to people needing a hand up, as he understood that a reliable vehicle might be the only thing preventing their ability to hold a job. He loved good food and despised hunger, and always managed to wrangle the love of good women who knew how to cook, from JoAnne to Joni with many in between. To honor his benevolent altruism and love for basic creature comforts for all genera and species, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Old Souls Animal Rescue (oldsouls.org) or Habitat for Humanity CFC, 1542 Barnum Ave., Bridgeport, CT 06610.

Services will be held on Friday, May 21, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. in the Lesko & Polke Funeral Home, 1209 Post Road, in Fairfield Center. Friends may greet the family from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services. Social distancing will be observed and masks are required to be worn.

For travel directions or to sign his online guest register, please visit www.LeskoPolkeFuneralHome.com