Christopher Drake Lundell

1972 - 2022

Lundell

Christopher Drake Lundell

Christopher Drake Lundell died on December 31, 2022. Known as Topher, his life was shaped by music, literature, and the arts. He was loved for his exceptional kindness, compassion, wit, and intellect.



Topher was born in Salem, Massachusetts on February 23, 1972 to Ellen Buckingham and the late E. Drake Lundell, Jr. After living in Marblehead, West Virginia, and Sudbury he grew up in Newton, Massachusetts.



In high school, Topher studied guitar and music composition which continued as passions throughout his life. Outside of school, he spent time skateboarding with friends, reading, and catching bands in Boston. After moving to New York City, he studied literature and was operations manager for the Dahesh Museum of Art. His expertise in operations, curation, and archiving were crucial to the building of the Oklahoma State University Museum in Oklahoma, where he lived for several years with his partner Nicole Rizzuto.



After relocating to Washington, DC, Topher was a manager at Second Story Books, where his literary expertise and hilarious personality were cherished by many. In addition to guitar, he studied the theremin, the melodica, the omnichord, and the

modular synthesizer. He was an avid concert-goer and played in several bands.



Topher is survived by his mother Ellen Buckingham of Rockville, Maryland, his brother, David and sister-in-law Rebecca, of New York, his niece and nephew, his brother Todd and sister-in-law Amber of Melbourne Beach, Florida, and a legion of friends. Gatherings in Topher's honor are being planned in Washington, DC and New York.