Christopher Allen Banach

"Anything is possible." That is what Christopher Allen Banach believed about life. He was a creative young man, a perpetual inventor, who seemed to be able to find a solution for any difficulty confronting him. He had faith in his ability to find those solutions. Christopher thoroughly enjoyed understanding how things worked. He possessed an inquisitive, confident, and rational nature matched with a versatile and agile mind. Christopher was a person who believed that he could achieve whatever he set out to do.

Christopher was born on September 20, 1987 at Blodgett Memorial Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. His parents were Paul and Deb Banach. Christopher was raised in Muskegon, Michigan and Bradenton, Florida. He showed his ingenuity even as a child. When he was confronted with a problem, Christopher could develop an imaginative solution, and he derived great satisfaction from knowing he had that ability.

This same talent for finding solutions had a positive bearing on Christopher's family relationships. Christopher was raised with his brother, Michael. When a difficult situation or dilemma arose within the family, Christopher was always there to help figure out a solution for making things work.

As a young boy, Christopher could be found building and envisioning inventing new and different things, new and different and sometimes unconventional approaches. He was curious, resourceful and interested in anything original-with a special eye for the visual. Christopher took part in baseball, soccer and football. He was a Boy Scout. In his spare time he liked photography and computers, and those two interests would eventually meld into his life's pursuit.

Endowed with an appetite for knowing how his world worked, Christopher enjoyed school, especially when the learning experience involved dissecting and probing the unknown. Christopher was adept at scrutinizing different possibilities and designing innovative solutions. He graduated from Southeast High School in 2004. His favorite class in high school was digital media. The teacher he enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Bob Eichenberg. He'll be remembered by many for designing the High School graduation video.

Because he was a quick thinker and adept at picking up on new things, Christopher performed well in college. He was always on a quest for knowledge and he relished the experience. Theories intrigued him, and he was good at solving complex problems. He always wanted to understand rather than judge. He was working toward his BA degree, with an emphasis on digital media. His favorite course was independent study. His favorite professor was David Metcalf. He loved being involved with his peers in any and all digital media projects.

Christopher was socially resourceful, an expressive person who was willing to try new things. These qualities drew a lively circle of friends around him. Always interested in his friends' activities and interests, Christopher was uncritical of his acquaintances. He was sought after by people who recognized that he was generous with his time and energy, and these same friends found Christopher to be very stimulating company. Christopher's humor and curiosity were contagious for those around him. While growing up, some of his other friends were Nate Houser, Zack and Chelsea, Josh Ingall, Jonathan Wells, and Taryn and Jeremy. His best friend, though, was always his brother Michael.

As a born inventor and visionary, Christopher was definitely in his element when involved in anything having to do with computers and video. His primary occupation and passion was digital media design. He spent 2 years at UCF in the Web Strategies Department, and 6 months with the Norwegian Cruise Lines Pearl as Digital Media Coordinator. Christopher always made an effort to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Christopher's passion for finding a better and more innovative way to do things was often an end in itself for him. In fact, that interest by itself became something of a hobby for this perpetual problem solver. Since Christopher was always searching for new and unusual activities, he developed many interests and leisure pursuits. Some of the things he became an "expert" in might come as a surprise to those who didn't know him, but most friends and family understood that Christopher simply couldn't be limited to just a few activities or ideas. His favorite pursuits included motorcycle riding, biking, weightlifting, snowboarding, hiking, camping and whitewater rafting.

Christopher's calm demeanor and eternally positive and cheerful outlook served him well in sports. In high school, Christopher enjoyed playing football. In his college years, Christopher focused on weightlifting. Christopher was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following his favorite events whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were football and weightlifting.

Having the opportunity to visit and explore a new place always intrigued Christopher. Traveling and going away on vacations offered yet another opportunity for Christopher to expand his ever-growing inventory of knowledge. Favorite vacations included Seattle, Europe, the Smoky Mountains, and Scotland.

Christopher passed away on February 6, 2010 at Orlando, Florida in a motorcycle accident. He is survived by his brother Michael Banach, parents Paul and Deb Banach, grandparents Margaret and Ralph White and Ted and Irene Banach. Services were held at Manasota Memorial Funeral Home. Christopher's ashes were spread over a favorite mountain in Michigan.

During his lifetime, nothing appeared impossible to Christopher. He met the challenge of "it can't be done" with the enthusiastic response of a "wanna bet" attitude. Christopher was able to recognize the possibilities a new idea held, even when those around him could not. For Christopher, the traditional way of doing things fell short of his expectations, especially if there were original and untested methods for handling a challenge. For Christopher Allen Banach, the fun of living his life could always be found in the challenge.