Bio of Chris Chaffin

Family: Spouse: Lisa Pitcher Children: Boys: Christopher age 16 and Casey age 11. Girls: Whitney age 14 and Callista age 4. We have 4 beautiful kids, Christopher (age 16), Whitney (age 14), both born in Germany - (they think that's pretty cool), Casey (age 11) born in Georgia (he thinks that's cool too) and Calli (4) born in Spokane, WA (she thinks everything is cool). :) I'm overwhelmed with what they teach me! As I struggle in my sincere way to be the best companion and father I can be, I am humbled by the responsibility. I have a friend who brought to me the idea that the people who come to our families as children may very well have been our leaders and teachers in our pre-mortal lives and come to continue with us in this life. Soccer is a big sport for all but the littlest, Christopher (16) and his high school marching band take awards all over the region. Words can't express the fullness of my heart toward them for all they bring to my life.

Church: I've had all kinds of callings in the church throughout my life so far including bishoprics and lots of young men and scouting related callings. I home teach Tom Cavanaugh and his family who are in our ward and about 5 minutes away. Currently I am the High Priest Group Secretary.

Education: I came back from the mission and graduated from BYU in Zoology/Pre-dental and then went to Creighton University in Omaha for dental school, graduating there in 1985. I was married in my second year of dental school to my dear friend and sweetheart, Lisa Pitcher from Orem, Utah (originally from Canada) and after graduating; we wanted to enjoy the travel and excitement of starting a career in the military. We went to a one-year general practice residency in Ft. Sill, OK, for the US Army Dental Corps. Our next assignment took us to Heidelberg, Germany for 3 1/2 years, other assignments including San Antonio TX, for 6 months and then to Ft. Gordon, GA for 2 years.

After 7 years of military and having moved 5 times, I had my fill of travel and military duty so we exited to Silverdale, Washington a suburb of Seattle area, worked as an associate for 6 months in a practice 2 blocks form the shipyard in Bremerton, WA. It didn't take long for us to get tired of the crowds and traffic so we moved to Spokane, WA on the eastern side of the state.

Work: My professional life keeps me pretty busy and our practice is involved in all aspects of dentistry with special emphasis on implant and cosmetic dentistry. Got to do spring training exams for the Chicago White Soxs and Kansas City Royal Major league baseball teams during spring training a couple of years ago.

Hobbies: Skiing for most of my life, took up snowboarding about 4 years ago (had a "midlife crisis" and had to prove to myself I could do that snowboarding thing)--now I think I like it better than skiing. I just had to prove I could run a marathon too, so I ran my first marathon last year at the Salt Lake City Marathon on July 24. Of the 26.2 mile run, the first ten was uphill, the next ten downhill, and the last six in the city were the hardest.

Areas Served: Panama-(Pedregal) Nov 76 to May 77, Companions F.Clare, D.Stewart, and L. Lefevre and in Chitre-- E. Garrigo Costa Rica (San Jose) companions: E. Garrigo, Mitchell and Theurer Honduras (Comayagueal) companion B. Jarvis, Edwards, and Shelley Nicaragua (Bello Horizonte) companions: C Stern, Swingle and Lewis Costa Rica (San Jose) companion: Angell.

Memories: I will never forget being involved with helping our missionaries coming out of Nicaragua into Costa Rica during the civil war in 1978. The stories and experiences and testimonies were faith promoting and incredible. I also remember the firecrackers in Tegucigalpa the size of Pringles Potato Chip cans, the humble sincere people who accepted the gospel, our crazy trips to the volcanoes, and

The time I spent on my mission has become an integral part of my being. I began helping to scan some of the slides for Loren Ashcraft and began to realize the incredible amount of work and sacrifice those who are involved with putting on this reunion have given for us all. As I dug thousands of slides out of the basement, many of which had never been projected in a slide projector I could see that the toll of 25 plus years does to colors and die on slides. Over the past few years I've taught myself some PhotoShop techniques. As I looked at those pictures, I was transported through time and space to a time which on the one hand, did not seem too long ago, yet seemed buried and connected to the eternities--The sometimes uneasy feelings I had while walking the streets of Managua, Nicaragua and Chorillo, Panama but knowing that since I was on the Lords errand he was protecting me--the memories of the misty cool rain fall on long walks in the streets of Costa Rica at night, to arrive somewhere and have hot chocolate and toast from a member or investigator, the lonesome feelings I had when I was sent out to Chitre Panama and knew very little Spanish and my companion knew no English--I remember how I got so sick of eating rice and beans and eggs in Nicaragua and Honduras that I felt I never wanted to see another one again--and now I find that when I can cook them just like they did in Central America, that I sit down and enjoy them since it take me back to a very special time in my life. Most important of all, I will always remember what my companions and I taught each other about life, love, sacrifice, and the gospel.