Christopher John Weiss

Christopher Weiss, age 63, of Syracuse, passed peacefully on January 19, after a year's battle with cancer.

Christopher was born on January 29, 1962, the son of Volker and Peg (Hake) Weiss. Both his parents were esteemed scholars and educators at Syracuse University (the former in civil engineering and metallurgy, the latter in art history), and Christopher's own life was largely centered around SU. After graduating from Nottingham High, he received his B.A. and M.A. from SU (both in cultural anthropology), as well as an M.Ed. from the University of Washington. He then returned to SU to a three-decade career as an educator and counselor in the Office of Supportive Services. He mentored students from a wide range of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds who were often the first in their families to attend college. He had a gift for recognizing potential in students who doubted themselves, and he worked tirelessly to connect them with academic support, financial resources, and personal encouragement. His commitment to civil rights, diversity, equity, and inclusion was a fundamental part of his character - decades before such language became commonplace - and he worked to create pathways for those the system had overlooked. Generations of alumni credit him with helping them not only to graduate, but to believe they belonged in spaces where they had rarely seen themselves represented.

He leaves a similar legacy on local ski slopes. An accomplished and passionate skier and member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America, he was at the forefront of adaptive skiing, developing programs and teaching techniques that enabled people with physical and cognitive disabilities to participate fully in the sport. He was one of the founders of the Arise and Ski program in upstate New York, helping to create opportunities for adaptive skiing that continue to serve the region. He also helped build and refine similar programs nationally, and had articles published on the philosophy and methodology of adaptive instruction, focusing particularly on the creativity and artistry of skiing. He argued that access to sport is a matter of dignity and equity, not charity; colleagues and students alike remember his patience, precision, and insistence that every turn on snow could be an act of confidence and freedom.

His advocacy for people with disabilities was both professional and deeply personal. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 16, Christopher knew firsthand what it meant to navigate the world with a condition that others might see as limiting. Not only did he apply that knowledge to his career, but he lived with fierce determination, playing basketball weekly well into adulthood, along with tennis, rugby, and, especially, golf. He was a fixture at Drumlins Country Club - both on the course and at Drumlins' "19th hole," where he shared his love of companionship, storytelling, and community. Also, he was an avid motorcyclist enjoying many summer trips with his friends.

His sportsman's life was demonstrated, as well, in his summers of boating, sailboarding, swimming, and other outdoor activities at his family's summer home on Round Island, near Clayton, N.Y, on the St. Lawrence River. Round Island was a cherished spiritual sanctuary for Christopher - quite simply his favorite place on Earth.

Christopher will be remembered for his dry wit, unwavering integrity, ability to make each person feel seen, and especially his kindness. He had a talent for listening deeply, asking the right question, and standing steadily beside people as they navigated hard choices or new terrain. He had an unshakable belief in human potential.

Christopher was an accomplished amateur musician and songwriter. He was frequently heard at local open mics and performing alongside friends and could not bypass any opportunity to share his music - including his many, many original songs - with an audience. He was a key member of a regular, monthly jam circle, focused on traditional country and folk music; and, with members of that community, traveled most summers to folk and bluegrass festivals (esp. Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival). During Covid, he and these friends worked to create a small set of recordings of Christopher's original songs, accessible on Spotify and elsewhere. (Search "Christopher Weiss and the Whiskey Hippies.")

Christopher was singularly committed to his family. He is survived by his wife, Susan Sanford Weiss and two sons, Coburn Swem and Matthew Ternosky and his wife, Karen. Also his brother, Erick and his fiancé, Courtney Mancini and his nieces, Alice and Margaret; He leaves, also, his Bernese Mountain dog, Hawkeye - the last in a long series of deeply loved canine companions.

Plans will be announced soon for a memorial celebration, where Christopher will be honored and remembered by family, friends, colleagues, ski instructors, adaptive athletes, musicians, and others, who will feel his influence every time they cross a commencement stage, cradle a guitar, or glide down a snowy slope.

Donations in his memory may be made to Arise And Ski.