Chris Wayne Korpi

January 22, 1961 - November 8, 2014 Chris Korpi was born in Long Beach and passed away at the age of 53 in Mission Viejo of sudden heart failure. In 1984, Chris graduated from the South Dakota School of Mines with a degree in Geological Engineering. He then worked as a lobbyist & political consultant. He earned his California teaching credential in the 1990s & taught math & science in the public middle schools in Orange County. Since 1999, he worked for gaming businesses, specializing in developing & nurturing relationships with tribal customers. In 2013, he became the VP of Native American Relations & Business Development for VizExplorer. Chris was committed to civic & non-profit organizations. He was an activist for public education & a political spokesperson through Capistrano Unified Children First. Via the United Methodist Church, he helped lead service trips to Eastern Africa, becoming a board member of the Indigenous Educational Foundation of Tanzania (IEFT) to sponsor & promote education among the Masai youth of Monduli, Tanzania. Chris was also a longtime member of the Canyon Club, a non-profit organization in Laguna Beach. Chris led expeditions to the Black Hills of South Dakota to educate people on geology & Native American history, organized hiking trips among the local hills, & took groups to tourmaline mines in San Diego. A published mineral collector, Chris possessed an enviable assortment of specimens & shared his scholarly knowledge with everyone. He was an avid traveler, hiker, scuba diver, & explorer of many countries & cultures. Chris devoted himself to justice issues & civil rights. In the 90's, he organized AIDS walks in Orange County, and, through Evangelicals Concerned & PFLAG, educated others on the rights of the GLBT population. During the past decade, he worked to defeat Prop 8 & promote marriage for same- sex couples. Chris was the son of Constance & Arvo Korpi and the brother of Donald "Ty" Hardin, all of whom preceded him in death. He is survived by his former partner, Patrick Harris of Dana Point, with whom he shared a 21-year relationship, a brother, Douglas Gifford Hardin, a niece, April Hardin Street, & a nephew, Jeffrey Hardin, all of Long Beach. He leaves behind many loving friends who will deeply miss him. A memorial service will be held on December 7 at 1:00 p.m. at the Laguna Beach United Methodist Church (21632 Wesley Drive). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Capistrano Unified Children First, Inc., P.O. Box 2367, Mission Viejo, CA 92690; or to IEFT, PO Box 300067, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.