Christopher Wagner Chandler

He is survived by his wife, Wendy Hinkler Chandler; his sons: Andrew Wagner Chandler and Alexander Miles Chandler; daughter-in-law, Jessica Wilson Chandler; his much adored grandchildren: Max Wilson and Lucy Ray Chandler; sisters: Beam Chandler Sutton and Estelle Chandler Busch; brothers-in-law: Richard Sutton, John Hinkler, Phillip Hinkler; and sister-in-law, Jennifer Hinkler Ridley.

He was preceded in death by his parents: Emma Louise Chandler and William Wilson Chandler; brother, William Wilson Chandler Jr.; brothers-in-law: Robert Busch and Mark Hazzard; and sisters-in-law: Susan Hinkler Hazzard and Pamela Eichman Hinkler.

Chris was born on March 24, 1945, in Ducktown, Tennessee. He spent most of his early childhood in Augusta, Georgia, before moving to Athens at the age of ten. He graduated from Athens High School in 1963 and attended the University of Georgia to study zoology. He later traveled to Queensland, Australia, where he met Wendy Hinkler, his beloved wife of fifty-two years. He worked for Australia’s national science agency CSIRO and on various commercial fishing boats. He enjoyed the ocean, beauty, and wildlife of Australia. It was the closest, he said, to how he imagined the “Wild West” in 19th Century America.

When Chris returned to Athens with Wendy and their son Andrew in 1973, he worked various jobs, including maintenance supervisor at Winder Transportation and linesman for Walton EMC. He also started a home improvement business before he ventured into the world of Antiques. And the rest is history. He would load up his Chevy Luv Truck and carry antiques piled high to shows in Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte. He began liquidating estates for local banks and trust companies in Athens, and in 1975, he opened White Stop Antiques. As his business and reputation grew, he founded Athens Antique Mall on the Atlanta Highway in 1995, where he alone renovated the 27,000 sq. ft. building, putting down floors and installing walls, ceilings, and lights. He rented space to more than twenty dealers, and he sold antiques he purchased from shows, sales, and pickers. As his business card stated, he sold “Objects of Age and Fine Design.”

Chris’s knowledge of antiques was exceptional. He could scan a room filled with a hundred items and immediately identify valuable pieces and provide amazing details about their history and composition. He was also masterful at repairs, as he glued and clamped antique furniture over the years, and he knew how to move large pieces of furniture with ease. The energy Chris brought to Athens Antique Mall contributed to its popularity in Athens and surrounding towns. He was witty and personable with a sharp sense of humor. He had “regulars” who would only come on days he was there. After he sold the Mall in 2007, he expanded his successful estate sale business, Chris Chandler, Estate Liquidations. He brought the same vitality and knowledge to his estate sales, which also had a dedicated following.

Chris was a true Southerner. He loved the dogwoods that lined his driveway, the azaleas, the magnolias, the first firefly of the year, and his tomato patch. He smoked ribs all day long next to his antique mall, and “darlin’” or “sweetheart” were his usual expressions. He loved the 4th of July parade in Colbert and lunches at the Dillard House. He wore Hawaiian shirts all year-round and drove a pickup named “Big Red.” He spoke often of his summers with his grandmother and the silver maples in her yard in Blue Ridge, and every Christmas he brought out “Fatback,” a stuffed toy monkey he kept for more than 70 years. His eyes would fill when he heard “Dixie,” and if friends or family needed help, he was always the first to arrive. Beneath the surface of the streetwise Southerner was a sentimental man with a big heart.

There will never be another Chris Chandler.

Rest in Peace, Chris, beloved husband, father, brother, grandpa and friend. We will miss you.

A family gathering will be held at Oconee Hill Cemetery at a later date.

Bernstein Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.