Christopher Camille "Chris" Manheim

It is with great sadness that the family of Christopher Camille Walsh Manheim announces her passing on August 7th, 2025 in her beloved home in Biltmore Forest, NC at the age of 74.

Chris was born in Philadelphia, PA on February 15th, 1951 to the late Charles Christopher Keeler, Jr. and Elizabeth Bernice Brack. When Chris was 3 years old her father died and the family relocated several times, finally ending up in Winter Park, FL where Chris graduated from high school. She attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL followed by the University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

Determined to have a career in the theatre, Chris attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City in the early 1970s, where she and her future husband Rick met and fell in love. In 1978, after discovering an interest in writing for television, the Manheims and Chris's writing partner, Patricia Green, moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue a writing career in television. It didn't take long for the dynamic duo to find work on the TV series Eight Is Enough and Shirley. Chris began her solo career writing for such shows as CBS Children's Mystery Theatre, ABC Afterschool Specials (nominated for an Emmy Award), The Mississippi, V, Hotel, The District, and Monk. She was also a writer/story editor on Murder She Wrote, and writer/executive story editor/producer on Xena: Warrior Princess (nominated for a GLAAD Award) for four years. In 2004, Chris and her husband moved to Asheville, NC and their home in Biltmore Forest where Chris continued her writing.

She was diagnosed with appendix cancer in 2016 and put up a valiant fight for nine years, finally succumbing to it.

Chris touched so many lives through her amazing talent, forgiving kindness, biting sense of humor, and her determined and adventurous spirit.

In addition to her parents, Chris was also preceded in death by her brother, Keith Keeler Walsh. She is survived by her husband, Rick of Asheville, NC; her brothers Gene Waering of Jacksonville, FL and Kelly Waering of NYC; her sister-in-law Karen Manheim Teel of Asheville, NC; her nieces Liane Smith of Cary, NC; Katie Snyder of Chappaqua, NY; and Gian Waering of Jacksonville, FL; and her nephew Skip Teel of Rockville Centre, NY. She also leaves behind so many special friends who enriched her life deeply.

A celebration of Chris's life will take place on Sunday, October 12th at Biltmore Forest, North Carolina Town Hall by invitation only. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Chris's memory to the Appendix Cancer Pseudomyxoma Peritonei Research Foundation (ACPMP) at acpmp.org, and/or the Four Seasons Hospice Foundation at fourseasonsfdn.org.