Chris Walker in Hospital

OPW - Aug 25 - Our thoughts and prayers for Chris Walker (Dating Starts Here).  He had a back ache at iDate Miami. Turns out it was very very serious. He's in hospital now, and the prognosis is not good. Chris Walker is one of our heroes, and one of the founding fathers of the idating industry. He worked on Operation Match, while at Yale in the 60's.  A punchcard based dating service. Here's our interview with him and a GQ article from January this year. He's an inspiration to our little industry. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.

Mark Brooks: Chris Walker passed away peacefully at home the evening of Wednesday 31st September. The Courtland Brooks team is just gutted.  Chris was in great back ache pain at iDate Miami. Despite this he was quite brilliant, inquiring and contributed markedly to the conference. Noone suspected cancer. 

Comments

[Paul A. Falzone]

I have had the pleasure of meeting Chris at many idate events. He is truly one of the founders of the "LOVE" business!!! Our thoughts and prayers are with Him!!!

[[email protected]]

Everyone at WWW.IBG.COM wish him a speedy and full recovery! Which

hospital is he in

[Marc Lesnick]

I looked and found a photo of him resting during lunch at the Miami Beach Botaniacal Gardens. We never published it. I remember he really loved the sun and the relaxing atmosphere during lunch. I knew his back was painful, but I never suspect this.

http://mb.internetdatingconference.com/our-prayers-for-chris-walker-dating-starts-here-t5169.html

Get well Chris.

Marc Lesnick

[Gregory McMullen]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/2011/09/12/gIQAspFLOK_story.html

[RE]

I knew Chris well. I listened over the many years shared together of all the aspects of his life, from his upbringing at the St Alban's school yo his adventures in the Ivy leave.  He admitted his long education was true genius founded by his father to keep him out of the Draft.  His interest in dating and fulfilling fantasies began in his university days and he carried out that through his final days.  Developing three starts in online dTing from Personalquest to Infopersonals and finally to Dating Starts Here.  He had a passion for living life Big everyday utilizing every sense God gave him and that for which he was born from.  He spoke of the Love he had for his brothers, how proud he was of his daughter Ellen whom he said was always happy and cheerful as the day she was born.  He talked about Evan and how he Loved being a new father, but a grandson that Chris would not get to ever meet.  He mentioned how much he liked Ellen's husband, Benoist and their life in Paris.  He enjoyed being a part of the International Dark Sky and felt proud to be their trasurer and to drive the direction of the organization to success as he had done so in his other entrepreneurial ways.  He had a passion to stop the maddness and over taxing of the commercial landowner's in Fairfax and the wasteful Dulles Rail project.   After traveling over 69 + countries and studying lighting, transportation, fine dining, residential and commercial development along with healthcare and political areas of each of the countries he visited, there was no one who knew such a breath if knowledge which could have been employed to solve the transportation struggles in Northern Virginia.  He talked of his time spent with the American Dream Coalition, The Atlas Gro, The CEO Club in Dc and the places they enjoyed and visited.  He had a constant yearning that began in his younger day in Bodybuilding and would attend The Arnold Classic, and had his fair share of conversations with the former Governor of California even before he wa Governor.   He had an awe inspiring curiosity of the extent that the human body could endure and was often appeased to enjoy such.  He always was kind and courteous to everyone he met whether he was in line with their view or in opposition.  This is something his Father taught him to Meet people where they are at and his Mother whom he learned early on to speak what was on his mind.  He lived his life fearless, often views as excentric, but it was those few who he shared his inside world with, his hopes, his dreams, his Loves, his passions often wondering if he would have enough time on the planet to do or see it all.  His diagnosis in 2005 of Multiple Myeloma drove him straight to the source for a cure as he traveled to Kathi Guisti who is the founder of the Multiple Myeloma Foundation where he encouraged them to connect with other centers also on the East Coast but also those in Arkansas and to the effort he initiated with George Mason and Lance and Chip.  He looked forward to those meetings hope ing that a breakthrough would occur in research.  He mentioned back in 2005 that perhaps that is why he was born into affluence and then later diagnosed with MM that it was because it was all for a purpose for the greater good since he had the resources to make progress in retiring this disease.
Chris was not without his other hobbies past and present which included skiing, running, rafting, kayaking and pretty much anything to do with nature.  He really enjoyed laying down in the grass midday on a nice sunny day to soak in the Vitamin D, Sun which he often stated he needed at least 20 minutes a day to feel right.  He talked about having many lives and recalled often his time on the mountain in one of his travels, where he strayed away from the group and ended up almost dying with frost bite and only minutes from death.  A rescue team hired by another lost hiker came upon Chris and saw he was close to death and rather than continue furthernup the mountain to find the lost hike they were hired to find, wrapped Chris up and brought him down the mountain to the hospital to recover.  Chris later met the family of the other lost hike of whom they found dead.  He shared a special moment of gratitude with them and offered them his appreciation for saving his life.  They later determined that the other hiker had already been dead a while and that rescuing Chris was one life saved over losing two.  He also talked of the many individuals sometimes by name that he shared time with along his travels and attempted to keep in contact.  He would post his adventure photos on his website,  www.cwalker.com.  However he was frustrated that he had tens of thousands more photos to post but was unable to complete the postings.  He also talked about his book he began writing.

So Chris, your spirit will continue in all of us.  We will always carry you with us.  May you find Peace and Love in your Spiritual Journey and we will see each other again.  Much Love, R.E.

[Mark Brooks]

Thank you so much for your comment RE. Its VERY much appreciated.

Please contact me at [email protected], when you have a moment. It would be nice to connect directly.