Christopher A. Wilson

The world grew a little quieter on August 10, 2025 when we lost Christopher Alan Wilson, who left this world both accompanied and greatly loved.

“Big C,” as many knew him, was born on July 22, 1959, to Janice (LaPeer) and Lester Wilson. One of five children, he was raised in East Chicago. On Chris’s 10th birthday, his father died—a loss that would follow him for the rest of his life.

He moved to Lafayette in the early ’90s and earned an associate’s degree in computer engineering from Purdue University. Through his relationship with Kathleen Marian, he gained a lifelong paternal bond with her three children: Dominick, Carl, and Burnadette Palermo.

On November 29, 2003, he married Pam Jackson, with whom he shared 22 frustrating, loving, and memorable years. On December 6, 2012, Chris entered rehab and spent the final 13 years of his life sober—an achievement he was deeply proud of (and rightfully so).

During the last two decades of his life, Chris found joy in many things. He played in VENA Valley 8-Ball Pool Tournaments for several years and was always up for a game of poker—or any form of gambling. He was a fantastic chef who loved to grill, and his cookouts were legendary: massive spreads, always enough for everyone, and then some.

In his later years, even after walking became difficult, Chris found freedom on three wheels—riding around town on his trike, walker strapped to the back, wind in his beard.

But perhaps nothing brought him more joy than doting on his granddaughters: Breanna (Keelan) Vann, Isis Palermo, and Izzy Jackson-Rhodes. He was also blessed with two great-grandsons: James Cottrill and Gabriel Henderson, both of whom he adored beyond words.

Chris had a rare gift—he could make family out of anyone lucky enough to be around him. He leaves behind his wife; three children; stepson Tavis (Christa) Jackson; three granddaughters; two great-grandsons; and his mother-in-law, Julia Bellar. He also leaves behind his close friends Richard Switzer, Jason Day, Jess Pezan and too many others to count.

Chris was preceded in death by his parents, his stepson Abe Jackson, and his dear friends Ed “Shipwreck” Wagoner and James “Hillbilly” Wallace.

One of Chris’s dreams was to take a trip down Route 66 to scatter the ashes of Abe, James, and Ed. That journey will now be taken by his family, who will carry him along the same road and do the same with his remains.

The family will host a private gathering at a later date to commemorate the wild, generous, and loving life that Chris lived. Arrangements have been entrusted to Comfort Cremations, 674 N. 36th St., Lafayette, IN 47905 | (866) U-R-Loved | www.comfortcremations.net