Obituary: Chris Crow
April 2, 1958 – May 31, 2026
Christopher Jude Crow made his transition from this life on May 31, 2026. An astronomy enthusiast, he’d have liked that it was the night of a blue moon.
A true North Tahoe local, Chris was born at the Deer Park Lodge Ski Resort (now the site of the River Ranch restaurant) when a spring blizzard closed the “Truckee Shortcut” (Hwy. 267) and a subsequent avalanche closed Highway 89 as his mom was on her way to the hospital.
Chris attended Incline schools from kindergarten through graduation. He was a member of the baseball team, ran track and cross-country, and skied with the Far West Ski Team. He was always drawn to science and was one of a handful of students enrolled in the first computer science classes offered (with the inestimable science teacher, Johnny A!) After a couple of semesters of college, he decided to go into the trades. He got his start with Cangemi and Sons Plumbing in Incline Village and spent the 80’s building homes all over the North Shore. During that time, he served his community as a volunteer with the North Lake Tahoe Fire Department and as a little league baseball coach. He was a life-long member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church…as a boy he served as altar boy; as a skeptical yet spiritual man, he appreciated the wisdom and friendship of Father Bill and Father Jorge.
Chris was passionate about outdoor life in the mountains. He covered hundreds of miles of trails, hiking, skiing or 4-wheeling in the Ford pick-up he loved, and he always enjoyed being on the water. His favorite companions for his adventures were his many rescue dogs. Chris usually went to the shelter looking for the dog least likely to be adopted, so several wonderful dogs enjoyed great final years. In the last few years, Chris was seldom seen without his (favorite?!) dog, Raj. He found Raj, a young dog, lost and scared, on Hwy. 20, and the two developed a bond that was heartwarming to see. No doubt they’re now hiking in the forests and mountains of Heaven together.
Although Chris preferred dogs to people and solitude to crowds, he enjoyed events like concerts and ball games. He had the good fortune of travelling the country with his lifelong friend Paul, seeing iconic ballparks and athletes (pics of Chris & Paul range from Tahoe beaches when they were 2 years old to last year’s Giants-A’s game!) He was also a dedicated Deadhead, and he spent many of his vacations following Jerry and the boys. Locally, he attended Shakespeare at Sand Harbor productions almost every year from the early days of the shows (remember the days of just spreading a blanket at the beach?!), and he and Raj seldom missed Dog Days with the Reno Aces. Frequent trips with family to Giants games, Disneyland and along the California Coast were always memorable.
When at home, Chris had a wide range of hobbies. He particularly enjoyed model building. Along with his brother-in-law, he built and flew remote-controlled airplanes, and he constructed dozens of intricate models. He was fascinated with the US space exploration missions, and his collection of rockets and spacecraft was detailed and extensive. He made a personal study of astronomy. He was always aware of the phase of the moon and what was visible in the night sky. He often called his mom or his sister just to say, “hey, look at the moon!”
A plumber by trade, Chris was skilled in all facets of construction. In keeping with his independent nature, he spent the happiest years of his life creating an amazing off-the-grid homestead in the deep forest outside of Nevada City with his ex-wife and true friend, Christine. Their first year out there, lacking a proper vehicle for unplowed forest roads, they were snowed in for several days. He remarked that “I was ok until the hot chocolate ran out!” He loved his life in the forest and the wonderful friends he made while living and working in the Nevada City/Grass Valley area.
When his mom became ill in late 2020, Chris turned his life upside down to return to Tahoe and care for her. He moved back into his childhood home, where he chose to remain after her passing.
Chris was a complicated man, and his path in this life was seldom smooth. Those who knew him well will remember his devotion to Raj and love for all animals, his many talents, his boundless generosity, his wacky sense of humor, his kind heart and his courage.
Chris is survived by his cat Sheba and his sister and brother-in-law, Julie and Wayne Cromwell of Kings Beach, CA. A celebration will be held in September. For more information, please text or call 530-412-4229.
If you’d like to honor Chris’s memory, please consider a donation to the Gene Upshaw Cancer Center in Truckee, CA (heartfelt thanks to the amazing staff there…Chris loved you guys!) or to your favorite animal-based charity. Better yet, go to your local shelter and rescue a new friend.
Chris made the world a better place, and he is greatly missed.
woof! 🙂
