Chrys Dee Lemon

1957 - 2022

LEMON

CHRYS DEE LEMON

Chrys Dee Lemon, beloved son, brother, uncle, cousin and friend of many, died on August 27, 2022, in Washington, DC. His death occurred after losing an intense struggle with the side effects of prescription pharmaceuticals, despite the efforts of many good people. He was 64.

On December 13, 1957, Chrys was born to parents Bob and Mary Lou (Smith) Lemon at Ochiltree General Hospital in Perryton, Texas. Although his arrival in the world was five minutes later than his twin sister, Robyn, Chrys was a natural leader from the start.

The Lemon family home of three boys and a girl bustled with activity, but it also was filled with the sound of music. Chrys played the cornet in the school band, sang in the A Capella Chorus, was a soloist at the Perryton Annual Spring Concert and was a member of multiple singing groups including the Booker Bank Notes, church choirs, and the renowned Congressional Chorus in Washington, DC. After Mary Lou died in 2002, Chrys produced a unique and moving musicale as a tribute to the memory of his mother which he presented to his family each year.

Those who know Chrys will not be surprised to learn he was an Eagle Scout, Student Body President, delegate to Texas Boys State, voted Best Citizen as a high school sophomore and Best All-Around his senior year, an honor he shared with his twin sister, Robyn. In addition to his school leadership and academic achievements, he was always involved in community service. Upon high school graduation in 1976, Chrys received a Congressional appointment to attend the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. He graduated from the Academy in 1980 – claiming "No Demerits!"- with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics.

While at the Academy, Chrys sang in the Cadet Chorale and the Cadet Protestant Choir and was also selected as an exchange cadet with the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1978. He was trained as a fighter pilot and served as an instructor for students learning to fly the T-38 fighter jet. During the time he was stationed at Vance Air Force Base in Enid, Oklahoma, he obtained his Master of Arts degree In International Affairs from Oklahoma State University. He subsequently briefly worked as an analyst at the Pentagon in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

After leaving the Air Force in 1988, Chrys enrolled in the American University Washington College of Law to obtain his law degree. He graduated cum laude from American University with a Doctor of Jurisprudence in 1991, and was admitted to practice law in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia in 1992. In 2000, he obtained his LL.M. in Taxation from Georgetown University Law Center.

Chrys spent the past 26 years of his life practicing law at the respected McIntyre & Lemon law firm in Washington, DC. He said many times that one of the best things that ever happened to him was the offer he received from Jim McIntyre for Chrys to join Jim in the practice of law. Jim was a great mentor to Chrys, and Chrys's clients and colleagues came to describe him as a consummate professional and trusted legal counselor in a highly specialized field. He had long been counselor to the American Banking Association's Office of Insurance Advocacy and before that, he and Jim were counselors for the American Bankers Insurance Association. Chrys served on numerous committees and was a regular panelist, presenter and moderator at conferences for banks, insurance companies, professionals, and trade organizations.

Because of his devotion to helping others, Chrys still made time to serve on the Board of Directors for the LGBTQ Victory Fund, and the Board of Trustees for the National City Christian Church in Washington, DC, and Phillips Theological Seminary in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Chrys was Legal Counsel for The Gayly, an Oklahoma newspaper, and he supported numerous other organizations like The Trevor Project, Freedom to Marry, and the American Pops Orchestra. In 2015, with his nephew Michael and brother Jim, Chrys also co-founded Bridge To Renewables, a company now helping in the fight against climate change by connecting approximately 150,000 electric vehicles to renewable electricity in California.

He spent his "spare" vacation time more than once driving his elderly grandparents from the Panhandle of Texas to a small town in Missouri so they could revisit friends and places and fond memories of an earlier life. Chrys's accomplishments are vast and impressive; however, the essence of Chrys Lemon was his ability to see the invisible people who just needed a little help, a small act of kindness, and the acknowledgement of their existence. Chrys served his country. He was a defender of democracy, fought against hate, and for justice and equal treatment in our nation.

One of the last highpoints of Chrys's life was his trip to the Dona Ana Village in New Mexico with his good friend, Israel Chavez, where they had the privilege of touring the historic village with Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Dona Ana is the oldest Colonia in Southern New Mexico. Because it is not feasible for these small communities to incorporate, there is little to no government assistance to help colonias like Don Ana to provide the most basic services such as sanitation, water, housing, or access to health care.

Chrys was preceded in death by his parents and is survived by his twin sister, Robyn Lemon Sellers of Oklahoma City; brothers Del Lemon and wife Leslie of Austin, Texas, Jim Lemon and wife Anna of Vienna, Virginia, and Eli "Moque" Grayson of Tulsa, Oklahoma; nieces and nephews Michael and Jacqueline Lemon, Garry Rogers, Jeny Center, Julia Rogers, Diana Rogers Jaeger, Kevin Rogers and Ochi Dorjsuren; cousins Richard Smith, Marcus Lemon, and Martin Lemon; most special friend Jorge Docabo; and legions of other friends, colleagues, family members and even strangers whose lives Chrys touched with his kindness, generosity, and respect for human dignity. Chrysanthemum Blossoms Forever.

A memorial service for Chrys will be held beginning at 2 p.m. on Sunday, October 9, 2022, at National City Christian Church, located at 5 Thomas Cir. NW, Washington, DC 20005. The service will be live-streamed and can be accessed at https://youtube.com/c/FriendsofNationalCityChristianChurch.

In lieu of flowers (including chrysanthemums), those wanting to make a contribution to the non-profit Dona Ana Village Association mentioned above, in Chrys's memory, can send donations via the following link: https://mailchi.mp/eaba095143c0/donaanavillage.

This obituary is available online at the website of Money & King Funeral Home and Cremation Services, at

www.moneyandking.com