Christopher "Chris" Wadsworth

Christopher "Chris" Wadsworth, 85, passed away peacefully on Saturday, November 22 at his home in Lexington, MA, after a long struggle with Parkinson's Disease. He leaves behind a legacy of accomplishment, generosity, humor, and unwavering love for his family. Born in Boston on June 18, 1940 and raised in Winchester, MA by Phillip and Elizabeth Wadsworth, Chris grew up alongside his older sister, Virginia.
After attending Philips Andover Academy, Chris was accepted to Harvard University where he studied American History, played on the JV tennis team, sang with the Harvard Krokodiloes, and developed friendships that would last a lifetime.
Following graduation from Harvard, Chris spent a year as a teaching fellow in history at Philips Andover and then returned to Harvard for six years, first in the Office of Admissions and later as an assistant dean in the Freshman Dean's Office. During this time, he also obtained master's degrees in history and education.
As a youthful 29 year old, Chris took on his first leadership role in education, becoming Head of School at Nichols School in Buffalo, New York, where he served from 1969-1979. Following his tenure at Nichols, he returned to the Boston area with his young family to take over as Head of School at Belmont Hill School from 1979–1993.
A six month sabbatical from Belmont Hill spent backpacking around the world spurred an interest in international education, and Chris left Belmont Hill to become the Head of School at Robert College in Istanbul, Turkey from 1993-2001, and eventually became the first Executive Director of the International Boys' School Coalition from 2001-2006. In his retirement, Chris served on several nonprofit boards, including Cape Cod Academy, the International School of Boston, the Dennis Conservation Land Trust, Cape Cod Museum of Art and the Mashantum Tennis Club.
Chris married the love of his life, Lori, with whom he shared a devoted and joyful partnership for sixty-two years. Together, they raised two children, Benjamin (Benj) and Thomas (Tim) each of whom he supported with enthusiasm, guidance, and unconditional love. To his family and friends, Chris was a source of wisdom, humor, quiet strength, and genuine warmth. He was the person people turned to for steady advice, thoughtful conversation, or a good laugh.
An avid athlete, outdoorsman and musician, Chris excelled at tennis and squash throughout his adult life; indulged his passion for fly fishing with annual trips to Montana and Idaho, and countless days on his beloved Cape Cod Bay, not far from the house he built in Dennis; and pursued his love of Dixieland Jazz as a banjo player with the Dixie Diehards, performing throughout the Boston area well into his later years.
Chris is remembered for his honesty, his discipline, his kindness, and the respect he showed every person he met. Above all, he is remembered for the love he gave to his wife, his children, and all those fortunate enough to know him. He lived a life of purpose, integrity and generosity, and those who loved him will forever carry the gifts of his example.
Chris is survived by his sister, Virginia Wadsworth Pomeroy, his wife Lori Dingman Wadsworth, his son Benjamin Wadsworth and long-time partner Kimberly Shavender, his son Tim Wadsworth, and his daughter-in-law Lenore Kitani. He is deeply loved and will be profoundly missed.
A celebration of life is planned for March 8, 2026 at 2:00 at the Belmont Hill School at 350 Prospect St in Belmont MA. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Chris's memory to the Dennis Conservation Land Trust (dennisconservationlandtrust.org) or Belmont Hill School (belmonthill.org).