Craig "C.J." Christian Apigo II

Some people are placed on this planet for only a short time, but in this time remarkably make a difference in the lives of so many. This is true of Craig Christian Apigo II, known affectionately by his family and friends as "C.J." The youngest of three children and the first born son to Christine and Craig, the timing of his arrival could not have been better. It seemed even during his earliest years, he was a peace maker between his two feuding sisters, Ashly and Skylar. He didn't need to do much though; just the mere presence of the cute toddler crawling around brought the two little girls together for the common goal of protecting their baby brother. It was during these tranquil moments that Craig and Christine realized that the addition of their son made their family whole and perfect. C.J. was simply meant to be. As he grew into a young man, C.J. excelled at school and was very popular amongst his friends and classmates. He loved dressing up for school functions and dances and found that he always looked best in a blue suit. When C.J. was not inside playing video games, he could be found outside playing with his friends Tyler and Bruce, or with his dad, uncles and grandpa on their boat in Texas fishing for hours on end. He could be described as humble and simplistic; a big talker who could rattle off facts about World War Two as if he had been there! With his hands he could build fantastic life-like replicas of guns and pull out the largest "crawdads" from the murkiest of water. C.J.'s love of water was not only apparent at the beaches and lakes that he adored but extended to his appetite as well. Always a lover of seafood, his most favorite of family outings had to be held at either Red Lobster or the Rainforest Cafe. C.J. was never one to follow the crowd. He possessed an adventurous spirit and was always off exploring in the woods where his curious nature piqued. His hands and clothes dirty, he was a boys boy who knew all the best places to catch bugs and lizards and could not wait to show off his findings. At home, he enjoyed decorating for the holidays and Halloween gave him an opportunity to become his favorite super heroes (Spiderman, Batman and the Hulk to name a few). Even after it was discovered that C.J. had a cancerous brain tumor on May 1, 2012, his hope and spirits remained high. He never wanted anyone to feel sorry for him and was aggressive in his fight against the cancer and learning all he could about alternative treatments. Despite his illness, C.J. was able to take a trip to the Bahamas, most recently, where he played with sea-lions and took in all the beauty that Atlantis had to offer. Though in recent weeks it became obvious that C.J. was not going to get better, this courageous young man made the choice to spend his final days in his home where he felt most at peace; far away from medical equipment and the treatments that took so much out of him. On the morning of February 17, 2014, at the age of thirteen, C.J. made his quiet transition and left us all too soon. Though the pain of his loss will seem unbearable at times, we take comfort knowing that C.J. is free from all pain and has begun his greatest adventure yet and though he has left us physically, he is never too far away. We promise to keep his memory alive and never let people forget about the sweet little boy that touched us all and was loved by so many. He will be greatly missed. C.J. is survived by his parents Craig Apigo Sr. and Christine Shock; siblings, Ashly Shock and Skyler Apigo; grandparents, James (Carla) Shock, Janeen LaRowe, Steve (Laura) Apigo, Sandra (Gasper) Leone, his chiweenie, Ross, and many uncles, aunts, cousins and friends.