It is with heavy hearts we share the painful news that Christine Louise Skaggs died at the Royal Alexandra Hospital on October 31, 2023, surrounded by loving family and friends. Chris was born to Lorraine Menard in 1950, following which she was adopted by Urbain and Charlotte Chaput. Chris was taught valuable tenets of life such as both personal and financial responsibility, and striving to be well-enough informed with facts to make the right choices. With her dad’s varied postings as an Imperial oil executive, Chris got to spend her formative years in places like Peace River, Dawson Creek, Regina, and Edmonton.
Chris had a love for music, both playing her piano, and personally knowing popular musicians like Burton Cummings and Bobby Curtola, and following their concerts. As she had requested, a recording of Loverboy’s “Turn me Loose” played as she passed.
Specialty vehicles were often found in Chris’s driveway – everything from a mint ’69 Camaro to various Corvettes. She also enjoyed serious motorcycling events, riding with some of the world’s most feted leaders. Chris had been a valued, long-time member of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority.
Professionally, Chris was the senior staff member in the office of the Edmonton Police Commission – a harrowing function, trying to find common ground between factions of those who understand the importance of law and order in a civilized society, and some who are quite inexperienced in this field. Chris’s skill and patience in accomplishing this is known nationally.
Chris’s second battle with cancer began in August of this year. Though her efforts and those of the Sturgeon Community Hospital, the Cross Cancer Institute, and the RAH were valiant, Chris succumbed to that hated disease.
Chris is survived by her mother, Lorraine Menard, daughters Cindy (Josh Breen) Ashton, Lisa (Jarret) Hornland, and Shauna (Davide) Careddu, and brothers Bob (Connie) Chaput, Larry (Marlene) Menard, and Keith (Suzanne) Pennells – as well as her passionately-loved grandchildren, Brynn, Kendyl, Kiara, Ellyana, Ashton, and Liam, Abigail, and Ella.
Per Chris’s wishes, cremation has taken place, and an informal open house celebration of her life for family and friends will be held at the Winspear Centre between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm on Sunday, December 10th.
