Christopher John Weigl, 23, passed away suddenly December 6, 2012 as a result of a tragic accident. A lifelong Massachusetts resident and Boston University graduate student, Christopher was born in Framingham and lived most of his life in Southborough, MA.
An avid outdoorsman, Christopher obtained the rank of Eagle Scout at age 14 and remained an active member of Boy Scout Troop 1 till his eighteenth birthday. In addition to scouting, Christopher was an accomplished clarinet player throughout his years of schooling, and played in a variety of ensembles including the Central District Band and Orchestra, MetroWest Youth Symphony Orchestra, and Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra. After graduating Worcester Academy in 2007, Christopher matriculated to Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Although eventually deciding upon a bachelors in English, photography supplanted music as the central passion of Christopher’s life, and he could often be found shooting campus events for the student paper or the school’s communications department.
By graduation, Christopher had served as both Photography Club President as well as Photography Editor of the Skidmore News. These pursuits were in addition to internships with Panorama Magazine, Emma Dodge Hanson Photography and KCK Photography, as well as a semester abroad in Florence, Italy to take more specialized photography classes.
After graduation, Christopher indulged his love of travel by embarking on a six week trip through Operation Groundswell, a “voluntourism” organization, to find a story and do service projects in Cambodia and Thailand. It was on the little Cambodian island of Koh Rong, where he interviewed locals and uncovered a government takeover of the island, that Christopher found a story and cemented his love for photojournalism.
The experience in Southeast Asia seeded the first thoughts of graduate school, and after a year of working at Ritz Camera, driving limousines, building a photography business, and freelance reporting for the weekly Community Advocate, Christopher moved to Brighton to attend Boston University’s Photojournalism Masters Program.
Fueled by his passion, his love and excitement for his work continued to grow, with new opportunities unfolding seemingly every day.
Christopher’s warmth, humor, integrity, love of life and friends, and his way of picturing the world will be missed by all who knew him.
Christopher is survived by his parents, Bonnie and Andy Weigl, his brother Dustin, and cat Ivy. Extended family includes grandmothers Buffy Rifkin and Etta Ruth Weigl, Uncle Karl Weigl and his daughter Nicole, Aunt Kit and Uncle John Potter, and their children, Valerie Friedlander and Megan Potter.
Please note: Christopher wrote most of the above in September as an initial assignment in his graduate program. Nobody could have imagined how important these words would become – so very soon.
Visitation will be held on Saturday, December 15, from 3:00 – 7:30 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Holliston, 854 Washington St. (Rt. 16). A memorial service will take place on Sunday, December 16 at 2:00 p.m. at the First Congregational Church in Holliston, MA, 725 Washington Street.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Boston University College of Communications, and designated for the Christopher Weigl Memorial Fund. These funds will create opportunities for passionate photojournalism students to “continue Christopher’s work”…. helping students to discover the wonder of creating pictures that tell a story. To make a donation, please use this link, and be sure to indicate funds will be for the Memorial Fund. Thank you. http://www.bu.edu/alumni-forms/forms/com/
(Obituary courtesy of Chesmore Funeral Home)
