Christopher Mark Scanlon

Christopher Mark Scanlon, age 74, was born April 19, 1949, in Salt Lake City, Utah, to John and Jane (Nolan) Scanlon. His siblings were Beth (Michael Gordon) with children Zachary and Anna; Maura (Larry Herring) with daughters Irene and Gretchen; and Janet (Mark Owens) with sons Danny, Henry, and Linus. His one-year-old sister Beth welcomed him home as a baby calling him Kiffer, which his parents and siblings and their families have always called him. The family moved to Honolulu, Hawaii, where they lived three wonderful years of Kiffer’s boyhood before moving to North Forestville and then District Heights, Maryland. His early days enjoying the beaches and other waters of Hawaii led him to join the local swim team and Sea Scouts in Maryland and later work as a lifeguard and swim coach. Hawaii was a special place his whole life and he and his wife Jeanne (Tomasic) returned many times over their 44 years of marriage.

Chris received a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in chemistry from Ball State University (Muncie, Indiana). He met Jeanne while working at a hospital laboratory in downtown Detroit; they married in 1979. They had two children, Patrick and Colleen (Brian Barnes). His son Paul is from a previous marriage to Jo Anne Dunham Trautwein. He was Poppop to Paul and Stephanie’s (Hillman) children Cael and Lumia and to grand doggies Remington, Torta, and Sando. Chris was beloved by Jeanne’s siblings and extended family, including Mike and children Stephanie and Danny; Bob and Jody and their girls Kristen, Karyn, and Katie; Cindy; Tom and children David, Mark, and Kelsey; and Andy.

Chris was a well-respected chemist and worked over 40 years at Agilent and the former Hewlett-Packard. He drove and flew millions of miles as a subject matter expert on ion and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry instruments. Some favorite destinations were Japan, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, and Germany. He was not allowed to travel to dangerous countries because he knew more about the instruments than anyone in the company. He was well-known by fellow chemists due to his updating and performing the Elements song at national conferences, as well as leading rousing versions of Elemental Bingo and Name that Element. On business and personal trips, Chris sought local fare, used public transportation, and experienced the places as people living there did.

Chris enjoyed playing with his kids, his grandkids, nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews, whose infant faces he studied with intensity, “to remember every detail.” His playfulness was seen in his belly flop and the Halloween costumes that won him first prize at least 3 times (as an alien, Carmen Miranda, and an old lady) while the family lived in Kentwood, Michigan.

Starting as a player on college intramural games, Chris became a huge soccer fan and started coaching the sport for his brother-in-law Andy, and throughout the childhoods of Colleen and Patrick. This February, he took a special trip to London (UK) with his sons and grandson to watch soccer and rugby matches.

Chris embraced life and believed in throwing large parties for his family - cooking the perfect turkey, ribeye, or burgers. They hosted a large Fourth of July party this summer with much of the family around. He became an ordained pastor of the Church of the Universal Matrix to perform wedding ceremonies for his niece and family friends.

He taught his kids to love sushi and make okonomiyaki; his grandkids devoured his infamous ribs, fried rice, and fish chowder, and learned not to share their ice cream cones with him. This generous man wanted to do everything he could for his wife and family – rarely saying no – and was ready to help anyone do anything! His musical interests led him to play numerous instruments, sing in a choir, and appreciate a variety of genres. He enjoyed old movies, especially Arsenic and Old Lace and Pride and Prejudice. His vast knowledge on many topics meant he often won Trivial Pursuit. Once people realized that, he was asked not to play because he was guaranteed the win, and would listen from the other room and shout out answers.

Chris took daily walks, favorites in West Bloomfield included Marshbank and Pontiac Lake and when in Seattle, where Paul and Colleen live, he was particularly fond of Green Lake and walked it every trip. He looked forward to his yearly tube trips with friends from Kentwood and elsewhere where he served as one of the chefs extraordinaire!

Chris died at home surrounded by his family. He was loved by many and will be sorely missed, especially by his girlfriend Jeanne.

Join in a celebration of Chris’s life on Saturday, November 11, 2023, from 1:00 - 5:00 p.m., at It’s a Matter of Taste, 2323 Union Lake Road; Commerce Township, Michigan 48382. Luncheon will start at 1:30 with a memorial at 2:30, with time for visiting to follow. Please wear a Hawaiian shirt or colorful outfit to help make the event light and bright.

If you would like to make a donation in Chris’s memory, the family recommends donations to Henry Ford Hospice (https://www.henryford.com/development/make-a-gift), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org), or Hawaii Salvation Army, fundraise.salvationarmyhawaii.org.