Chris Elliott

1961 - 2020

ELLIOTT, Chris Chris Elliott left the physical presence of his family and wide circle of friends on September 17, 2020. His spirit remains with us. Chris was quick to care about people, and slow to anger with them. It's said that a friend is someone who knows everything about you, but still loves you anyway. By that or any measure, a better friend than Chris was not to be found. Since his diagnosis with prostate cancer nine years ago, Chris took us on his journey with inspiring fortitude. When speaking of him and the treatments he went through, doctors and those close to him use the word "brave" over and again. Christopher Lee Elliott was born on September 28, 1961, to Charles Proctor Elliott II and the late Paulina "Penny" Elliott. He married Maria Rose Theresa "Tish" Hinojosa Elliott on June 21, 2002, in Napa Valley, California. His daughter, Maria Lilianna "Lily" Elliott, 14, an athlete like her father, is an amazing Level 10 gymnast who aspires to compete at the college level one day. Chris, ever the competitor, revered her tenacity and skill. His son is the spirited and precocious Charles "Boone" Elliott, 10, whom Chris often called with delightful pride the "Mayor of Barton Hills." Living in Austin when his father was a graduate student at the University of Texas, Chris became a passionate Texas Longhorns fan for life. He graduated from high school in Commerce, Texas, and graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, in 1984, where began many close and lasting friendships. He graduated from Baylor University Law School in Waco, Texas, in 1990. Chris likewise developed close friendships while working in the Texas Senate. Among other things, he served as general counsel for the Committee on Criminal Justice, chaired by Texas Senator Ted B. Lyon. He later served as briefing attorney for Chief Justice Bob Shannon and Justice Mack Kidd of the Austin Court of Appeals, and then as partner with his friend Joe Crews in the law firm of Crews & Elliott. Chris was a peacemaker by nature and fittingly served as adjunct professor of alternative dispute resolution at Baylor Law School. He most recently was a shareholder in the Austin law firm of Graves, Dougherty, Hearon, and Moody. In addition to general civil litigation, he practiced fiduciary, probate, and trust litigation, which reflected his keen sense of duty. Chris lived out his desire to make the world a better place for those on the margins of society. He served on the boards of Austin Habitat for Humanity, the Capital Area AIDS Legal Project, and Mexic-Arte Museum. He long maintained a full docket of pro bono cases referred to him by organizations such as Volunteer Legal Services of Central Texas and Texas Community Building with Attorney Resources. He served as chair of the Travis County Democratic Party from 2004 to 2008. Chris also served on the boards of the Alumni "L" Association and the President's Advisory Council for Austin College, as well as chair of the Austin chapter of the American Constitution Society, which was a network of lawyers formed in response to the conservative Federalist Society. Chris enjoyed nothing more than travelling with family and friends. He loved going to annual Easter gatherings of Tish's extended family in the Rio Grande Valley, and they often traveled to visit former neighbors who had moved away. He also traveled to UT football and basketball road games every year with friends who shared his enthusiasm for the Longhorns. More than any other destination, though, he was especially drawn to the rugged majesty of the Big Bend region of Texas. Chris said his blood pressure dropped when he traveled with Tish, Lily, Boone, and family dog, Orson, to the renovated adobe casita named Casa Ortega, which they owned with his sister and brother-in-law in Marathon, Texas. Casa Ortega served as base camp for many memorable Big Bend road trips with family and friends. In addition to Tish and their children, Chris is survived by his father Charles and stepmother Paula Chastain Elliott, of Commerce, Texas; sister Kim Elliott and brother-in-law, Peter Uimonen, of Bowie, Maryland; brother-in law Rick Hinojosa, of Dripping Springs; uncles and aunts David Elliott and Diana Claitor of Austin, Bill Elliott of Fredericksburg, and Ronny and Jan Ragland of Lubbock; cousins Brian, Lance, and Miles Ragland and their families, cousins Amanda Roberts and family, cousin Laura Elliott Theis and family, and cousin Patrick Elliott and family, as well as the countless cousins on the Hinojosa side of the family, whom he adored. At a time when people may once again safely gather in large numbers, Chris's family will host celebrations of his life and spirit, both in Austin and by spreading his ashes in Chris's beloved Marathon. For those wishing to honor him, Chris's family requests that you make a memorial contribution to Austin College, 900 North Grand Avenue, Sherman, Texas, 75090, or www.austincollege.edu/giving.