Christopher Thomas Cahill , September 17, 1978 — September 17, 2018

Christopher Thomas Cahill of Westfield, Massachusetts, passed quietly into eternal life at home in Westfield on Monday, September 17, 2018 after a long battle with a debilitating illness. Chris was born in Albany, N.Y. on September 17, 1978 and grew up primarily in Longmeadow and Westfield, Massachusetts. He was a happy, gregarious and outgoing kid with an infectious laugh, ready grin and a tuft of unruly blonde hair who loved to turn over every rock, splash through every puddle and let you know he was the coolest dude in the room.

He loved climbing rocks, running through the woods, and paddling a home-made raft off the beach at his Grandfather’s summer home on Great Diamond Island in Maine. He was a snakes and snails, and puppy dog tails kind of kid whose sense of curiosity and adventure earned him more than his fair share of bumps, bruises, stitches and the occasional concussion. His first word was “ball”, so naturally he competed in sports playing soccer, basketball, football and lacrosse in the town of Longmeadow.

He also had a life-long passion for music of all kinds. Nobody benefitted more from the invention of earphones than Chris. As he grew older, he became proficient in the Guitar, keyboard and his favorite, the DRUMS…the louder the better.

He attended Westfield Vocational High School where he concentrated in food service, with a special interest in cooking. How this related to or led him to his favorite job as a specialist in laser production at Coherent in Bloomfield, CT we will never figure out. That was Chris in a nutshell, learn to cook so you can make lasers for the space program.

Intervening years were given over to a long, valiant struggle against a debilitating disease, wherein Chris’s natural gifts of curiosity and adventure were replaced by daily exercises in courage and tenacity. Chris is survived by his parents, Mary Ann (Hurley) Cahill, and Richard W. Cahill of Westfield, MA, his sister Erin B. Cahill and her husband Rick Williams of Ashaway, R.I. as well as a large loving family of wonderful Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and dear friends. Calling hours for Chris will be Monday, September 24, 2018 from 4 to 7 PM at Firtion-Adams Funeral Home, 76 Broad Street, Westfield, MA.

A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 at 10:30 AM at St. Mary’s Church, 30 Bartlett Street, Westfield, MA. In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for donations made in Chris’ name to Samaritan Inn, 7 Free Street, Westfield, MA 01085. Firtionadams.com.

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