Christopher James Wade

September 18, 1949 - April 29, 2013 In Loving Memory Christopher (Chris) Wade was born on September 18, 1949 in Santa Monica, California. Sadly and tragically, on April 29, 2013, Chris was killed in an air collision while flying as a passenger with a friend over the Malibu Mountains. It's hard to summarize Chris' life in just a few words because he accomplished so much in such a short time. Chris was an amazing and talented man. He had a great sense of humor and was a loving husband, father, son, brother, and a good friend to all that knew him. Chris was also an accomplished artist, musician, songwriter, pilot, skier, surfer, scuba diver, teacher and a master upholster. He could design and build almost anything, including his own Long EZ airplane which he flew for over 20 years. Chris grew up in Venice Beach, California, and graduated from Venice High School in 1968. He attended California State University at Long Beach earning his Industrial Arts Degree in Education. As a talented musician and songwriter, and a member of BMI, he played five instruments, and had recently enjoyed playing his stand-up bass with The Texas House Party Band. In 1969, he joined his brother's band (Jimmy), Thunder Creek. Later, he and his brother, along with other musicians, formed the band King Fish. Both bands were very popular in the local Venice and Culver City area. In 1975, his future wife, Marty (Marta) joined the band as their lead singer. The band's name was later changed to Pegasus and then to Big City Band. Their band enjoyed great success during mid-1970's and '80's, and was one of the few groups to open up for Van Halen at the former Hollywood night club, Gazzarri's (later changed to The Key Club). By then, Big City Band was playing all over southern California, including The Troubadour in West Los Angeles, and began touring military bases in Hawaii. Because of his special talents, Chris helped design and build many of the props used in Motley Crue's Looks That Kill video and album cover. Chris and Marty were married in 1979 and had two children, a son, Ryan (1981) and a daughter, Jamie (1986). Chris also taught industrial arts and math at Monroe Middle School in Inglewood, California, for 37 years. He tirelessly worked with his students in the after school program for MESA (Mathematics, Science, and Engineering Achievement), and the JPL program where his students learned to design and build science projects for local and statewide competitions. Many of his students have gone on to have successful careers in engineering and aviation as a direct result of his influence. Chris continued working for the MESA program after his retirement in 2010, and his students did not let him down. Two weeks after his untimely death, they went on to win first place in the initial rounds for designing and building a prosthetic arm. Chris loved life and he loved his family. He was truly an amazing and talented man who had so much more to give. Chris will be forever loved and missed by his wife, his children, his brother, and his 95 year old father, James. His family is truly devastated by his loss. Chris is also missed by his friends, his band mates, his students, his school, his airport buddies, and all who knew him. Chris was a generous man who never took anyone or anything for granted. If you asked him for something, he would not only give it you, he would make it for you. In loving memory, Marta, Ryan, Jamie, Jimmy and James Wade