Christopher A. Callahan

Chris was born in Akron, OH on August 19th, 1959 to Brady and Peggy Callahan. He had a childhood full of beautiful memories that he shared often. Chris loved his parents and his siblings dearly, and always kept them close to his heart.

He graduated from East High School in 1977 and continued his education at the University of Akron. Chris continuously challenged himself to learn throughout his life; whether it be carpentry like his Dad, mechanics, technology, real estate, perfecting Pinewood Derby cars, or cultural awareness-his desire was never satisfied.

Christopher was married to Tammy Okulovich on March 29th, 1996. After a very “will they, won’t they?” love story, they finally found each other in their 30s. If you ask Aunt Ruth, he’d been “in love with her for years.” They had 27 years together full of love, laughter accompanied by an eyeroll, and peaceful tv nights in the family room. Chris and Tammy had two children together, Mikhayla (28) and Zachary (25), that they considered their greatest achievement.

For employment over the years, Chris wore many hats. Most recently, he worked as a REALTOR for Howard Hanna as well as a bank auditor. He had a passion for helping others and moving them forward in life in any way he could, so finding people their dream home brought him joy. Chris loved to make connections everywhere he went, and often left his clients and coworkers feeling like family.

He had a wide variety of hobbies and interests, including golf with his buddies, walks in Goodyear Metro Park that reminded him of Swaz, watching the Browns and Ohio State football, making memes to send to friends, and photography- to name a few. He did what brought him peace and happiness in the moment.

Chris is survived by his wife, Tammy, children, Mikhayla and Zachary, siblings, Danny Callahan (Merry), Kathy McNeil, Mary Clark, Megan Kenneweg (Bruce), sister-in-law, Diane Brock (Brad), brother-in-law, Samuel Okulovich, nieces and nephews, Erin Barnett (Jake), Maureen Bohan (Mark), Josh Clark (Emily), Jonah Clark, Justin Clark, Kourtney Fellows (Corey), Kyle McNeil (Christin), Luci Kenneweg, Darold Eddy (Carlie), Nate Eddy (Joy), Caitlin Eddy, mother-in-law, Martha Olesek (aka “Grandmama”), and many dear friends.

Christopher is preceded in death by his parents, Brady and Peggy Callahan, stepfather, Claire Beck, father-in-law, Walter Olesek, brother-in-law, Neil McNeil and best friend, Jim Swartz (“Swaz”.)

There is no way to summarize the overarching impact that someone like Christopher Callahan had on the world around him. As my mom said, “there aren’t enough words.” To us, he was a thoughtful and caring husband and father that spent every day finding ways to show us his unconditional love. These were not always grand gestures or written testaments, but rather Baby Yoda memorabilia, chocolate covered raisins, impromptu lunch dates at the most inconvenient times, recorded TV interviews that he thought we’d enjoy, or waiting up just to talk once the house got quiet. Chris never forgot to check in when things were tough and he was always able to find time for others. He had a way of making mundane things magical, and magical things into irreplaceable memories.

Chris believed in a somewhat idyllic world, and did everything in his ability to make that his reality. We watched him do the right thing time and time again, even when it hurt. There was no task not worth doing, and he believed that learning how to follow through was reward enough. He taught us how to live and how to treat people through his example. “Just treat people well,” he’d often say. From taking time to talk to his family, friends, and coworkers, I further understand why this concept is so important. Giving people your energy and your heart creates bonds that surpass life and death. I hope everyone can find peace in knowing that he loved each person that crossed his path, without condition or expectation.

The celebration of life will be held at Oak Hill Presbyterian Church on January 27th at 11am with a luncheon to follow. It is open to family and friends. If flowers are generously offered for the service, please refrain from including any lilies due to allergies.

We are asking for friends and family to recall their favorite stories of Chris and put them to paper to bring to the memorial or send via email to [email protected]. He loved his stories, and we want to preserve them by creating a book that will be shared.