Christopher Birzes Service Information

Christopher Colin Birzes entered this world quickly and with little fuss even though he was an 11lb, 11oz brute of a babe. He was the sweetest child who loved to sleep and that love of sleep never ended. Give Chris a chance to nap and he was out like a light. He never went through the terrible twos but at age three the stubborn streak that was secretly imbedded in his personality hit full force. One morning when asked to clean up his room he famously said “Go ahead and bweak my awm, I am NOT going to clean up those cwayons”. He held his arm out to me just to make sure I knew he was serious and I told Kelly to call 911 if I tried to go back in that room. It was this same obstinacy that made Chris finish race after race despite his severe asthma attacks. He was a proud member of the LaSalle Cross Country team and loved his teammates and coaches; he could not let them down. As an adult, the only way to persuade Chris to change his position on any topic, be it political, social or gaming strategy was to appeal to his intellect with a strong logical defense. 

Chris didn’t speak in full sentences until he was almost three which caused much worry but after breaking that barrier, he never stopped. He would talk about his kids at work, his friends, the latest news, his favorite shows but mostly about his gaming; though I often understood only about 10% of what he was saying I listened with full attention because he wanted to share that part of his world with me. Though we tried time and again to get Chris to “go out” we finally understood that the gaming world offered Chris a depth of personal relationships that meant the world to him regardless of the miles apart. Those friends are just as true as those that Chris broke bread with face to face. 

Chris was very humble in most things and far too often self deprecating but he took great pride in knowing that he was an excellent nurse. He had incredible compassion and patience but was most proud of his intelligence and high level nursing skills. Coworkers and superiors commented on these abilities and strengths so often that Chris actually listened and accepted that he was the best nurse anyone in need could hope for. Getting to that point was not a given in the early days of nursing school however. His unwavering grit made Chris overcome his Auditory Processing issues and ADD in order to earn his BSN when others could not succeed in the program; his resiliency was awe-inspiring. Despite the mental and physical challenges his body presented Chris put everyone’s needs above his own. Whether he was working in Drug and Alcohol Rehab or with the children that he cared for at Childway, his patients were his priority. Chris saw their humanness rather than their illness, and he recognized the desire not just to live but to thrive when others could only see their mistakes or limitations. 

There are a million more attributes that made Chris the incredible man he was; his profound empathy, the shoulder he offered anyone who needed support, his discretion and refusal to judge a friend no matter what confidence he was holding. Chris was trustworthy, appreciative and dedicated to his family above all else. Even as a small child, he was so funny that he caused his 90 year old Pop Pop to have an alarming coughing fit due to laughing so hard. On Chris’ fourth birthday his grandfather’s advice to us was to “reprimand the actions but never to break the spirit of this very special boy”. Luckily, we rarely had to reprimand him as he loved being around his big sister, Kelly and his baby brother, Ryan, even as the years rolled by. Chris rarely bickered, shared his toys and indulged his siblings. Chris was a homebody through and through who got his love of computer games from playing with his dad in the man cave, starting with “King’s Quest”. Chris also cleaned a mean kitchen after satiating his late night appetite for food with cheesesteaks and pizzas which were eventually replaced with favorites like Indian, Thai and Halal and, of course, BBQ. 

For almost 35 years, it was Chris’ deep devotion to those he loved and his fierce determination that made all the difference; he showed us every single day how much he loved us. His relationships and friendships with Kelly and Ryan were so important to him and he was the best uncle to Owen and Colin, teaching them to play "appropriate" computer games right by his side or helping them to use his VR, patiently adjusting the headsets and restarting the games over and over. He took them out for ramen and to "The Brick Store" so they could add minifigures to their Lego collection. Not to mention handing over his entire Pokemon binder of treasured cards. 

When your babes are little you worry about the how they will turn out- the attributes they will have, how they will make the world a better place and their reactions to the adversities they are sure to face. And you don't really know how to instill those traits in your wee ones. Sometimes you are lucky and they simply turn out to be the most generous, kind, loving human being with no real help from you- they didn't need it. Maybe the angel who was there at his birth never left Chris' side and guided him throughout his life and that he is speaking with the angels at this very moment. All we know is that we are so very proud of the boy he was and the man he became. and thank God for every day that we got to spend with Chris. We hope you were lucky enough to have come into his gentle orbit and have his light shine on you, too.

Chris is survived by his beloved parents Eileen and Joseph Birzes; his sister Kelly Cousineau and her husband Robert and his brother Ryan Birzes.  He was the beloved nephew of Janice and Donald Mignogna and Jo-Ann Birzes and the late Robert.

He is the dear cousin of Donna Yerk (the late Michael), Michael Mignogna (Donna Jean), Maureen Mignogna, Matthew Mignogna (Dana), Trudy Birzes, Paulann Sabatino (Nicholas), Robert Birzes (Gina) and Michael Birzes (Joanne).

Chris is also survived by many second cousins, relatives and his dear friends.

Relatives and friends are invited to his visitation on Friday, July 26^th from 2 to 4pm at the BuxMont Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2040 Street Road, Warrington, PA 18976.  His Funeral Service will begin at 4pm.  Interment will be held privately.

After services on Friday the family invites everyone to dinner at Chris’ favorite restaurant: Ember Smokehouse and Tap, 237 West Butler Avenue, Chalfont, PA 18914.

In lieu of flowers or Mass cards, the family would prefer donations in Chris’ name to the Arc of Philadelphia.  An organization whose mission is to advocate with and for all children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families, to promote active citizenship, self-determination, and full inclusion.

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