What life lessons can we learn from one strange but simple man’s life in an even stranger, more complex world?
We, the Tetlow Family are very sorry to deliver the sad news that our most beloved member, Christopher John Tetlow is no longer with us. Our hearts bleed at the thought of not sharing with him the splendour of life on this beautiful earth that he so adored.
As a tribute to the precious time Chris gave to all of us, and the love you shared with him in return, we will commemorate his passing with a simple cremation ceremony to which you are warmly invited.
If you wish to join us in witnessing a brief and sober farewell to this bold, fun-loving, gentle-giant-man-child, you would be most welcome. We will do our best to include all whom he touched in a meaningful way and to help you carry on smiling in a world without our Chris or his big bear hugs and infectious laughter.
Please come along, it would be lovely to see you.
Chris Tetlow’s Cremation Service
9:30am on Saturday July 15th, 2023.
First Memorial Funeral Services
4725 Falaise Dr
Victoria BC V8Y 1B4
RSVP Brian for cremation on July 15 @ 2508866656
If you wish to share your thoughts via social media, or a more permanent website please do that here.
https://omeetoo.wordpress.com/ChrisT’s-memory
Or here
Www.firstmemorialsaanich.com
A final (but more upbeat) Celebration of Chris’ life will be on Aug 3rd, 7-9:30pm at the iconic Strawberry Vale Community Hall, 11 High Street, (nr West Burnside and Helmcken) V8Z5C8.
RSVP – Bruce for Aug 3rd @ 2506619025
Best and warmest wishes to you and yours.
The Tetlows
Condolences
You can see some condolences here… https://www.firstmemoriasaanich.com
Feel free to leave any further comments to add to Chris’ legacy in the section below.
Honouring a Promise
I made a promise to be my brother’s keeper, so this page is honouring that promise and the journey so far…
Chris, like most people knew where he came from and where he was going.
A biker friend of Chris’ once asked me
Something, after I told him Chris is my brother.
What’s the deal with that?, he enquired? (He paused in thought, looking at me as I smiled at him). . . You mean he’s a brother from another mother right? – no I said, shaking my head once. So Was he adopted? Not that either, I said. Shaking it twice.
You got me man, he said, I’m out.
I simply explained why chris was different, but also how he was pretty much the same as everyone one else, the same as me.
But because of Chris, our family learned everything there is to know about differences. Chris encouraged difference. Comparisons are odious, mum used to say. Mum is mum because of Chris. Dad is dad because of Chris. Keith is Keith, and I am me, fiercely proud of who we are because of who Chris is. And dare I say, you are more you, after knowing chris.
Yes chris challenged the norm, championed change, and in doing so Chris also demanded acceptance.
And just in case there’s any confusion on the matter, Chris and I are natural brothers from the same parents, same household, same street, same neighbours, same community, same boat, same car same game of cards, same woods, same basement, same driveway. We even had the same paper routes, same customers, same Christmas tips.
—- you get it right?
But looking over all the photos I have of life away from my brother, looking for shots of Chris, small moments that capture his life, it’s huge. After some point, our lives were not at all the same, and I’m still coming to terms with that difference.
You can’t have a good time alone… well not for long. People who spend too long alone need therapy to get back to living well.
This is a chance for us to feel the impact that Chris had on this world.
This is a chance for me to tell you what chris meant to me.
- he was the Canadian flag on my back
- He was pay in my patience
- He was the try in my tribunal
- The Rye in my righteous smile
- The win in my windfall
- He was the ho ho ho in my hopeful Christmas card
- The why in my wine
- He was the shy in my shine
- He was my older/younger loving brother
I believe that once you accepted chris into your world, once you laughed with him, not at him, once you stepped into and walked a few miles in his moccasins, you became a better person. He was a special gift to the world, unique in so many wonderful ways.
Chris the Silent
We all, well most of us, know, Chris was a little bit sneaky. (Cockney) ‘He was a little bit of a Tea, won’t he.’ Bit of a Tea Leaf, a natural thief. You’d be sitting watching TV, and on the other side of the wall was Chris, silently Raiding the fridge. You’d go around one way to investigate and before you knew it, he’d be gone, through two rooms, a door and up the wooden stairs without a sound.
Chris the Gentleman
Story of the Paris Metro.
Story of the Paris Crowd.
Chris the iIntrepid Explorer
We were very close as kids, chris and I. We had to be, mum and dad would take us for weeks and weeks, first in the vw camper and then in the sailboat. We played a lot of cards in those days, cribbage, crazy 8’s. It was really fun.
But sometimes Chris needed space, we all did, but chris one time, driving our Toyota camper through eastern France on the German boarder he decided he was going to take the bus home. So he got out and sat a bus stop, and wouldn’t move. And when chris got an idea in his head, on that rare occasion when a fully formed plan lodged itself inside one of the those beautiful folds in his cerebral cortex.
He didn’t know what a cerebral cortex is. But like he always reminded me, “I’m not stupid”. He was not stupid. I would say that he had one of the kindest loving hearts a man could have.
Occasionally, he also reminded me, “I can’t help the way I am.” Can any of us? Chris was capable of sadness but he was determined to try to be happy.
Chris was like Mr. Nobody until he met Mr. Happy. And if you could be Mr. Happy, Chris could too. And everyone who knew him knew that.
When contacting people to invite them to his memorial services, I looked at all the people I knew who were NOT fortunate enough to meet Chris. And well, it makes so really happy to know how many people DID know Chris, shared in his big heart, his love of life and his unique character. Chris was not an easy person to understand, but once you knew him, he was not an easy person to forget. And who would want to? Knowing Chris meant you had a little book of Mr. Happy in your back pocket.
Omeetoo Combined Arts Ltd 