Big Brother 5.19.07

Big Brother

Kris was my big brother. He was the oldest of four children followed by Phil, 18 months younger, then me, 6 years younger, and finally Steve, 10 years younger. His given name was Robert Christopher Cello named after his Dad Robert, but the name Robert didn’t stick very long, and he became Kris with a K. Already he was forming his own identity and becoming an independent thinker. Our parents, Bob and Irene, moved from New York to Davis, California with Kris and Phil in tow in 1951. They set up house and lived here for a short time before moving to Santa Rosa for a year. In 1953 they moved back to Davis and Kris lived here for almost the entire time of his life, except for a couple of years in Alaska in the 70’s. Our household was pretty typical of the time growing up in Davis. Dad was a professor at the UC Davis Veterinary Clinic. Mom stayed home and raised the four kids. We lived in East Davis on Hunt Way. Kris and Phil played with the Carlson boys, the Hughes boys, Janet and Linda Hughes. Those friendships span more than a half of century. In 1959 we moved to West Davis and soon our family was off to Vienna, Austria for a year’s sabbatical. Kris and Phil entered the American International School. Kris, with his red hair and good looks, was instantly popular. In the summer of 1961 we were back in Davis and Kris was entering 8^th grade. Bam, Kris met Kathy Kirk and his world was knocked upside down. They have been together almost nonstop ever since. Kris met the Kirks. Kathy met the Cellos. Nick and Mary loved him from the beginning, including him on family adventures, Kris learned to water ski and drive the family ski boat. He was growing up fast. Kathy met the Cellos, she had to learn how to take the constant teasing that my dad would dish out, a sure sign that she was accepted into the Cello family. As they entered high school they were going steady. Kris played JV and senior football, where he was a valued player. He worked during the summers for Hunts Cannery and weekends and after school for Wingers department store and at 16 he started working for Don Gale Construction. He was a good worker and saved his money, and probably because of Kathy’s good influence stayed on a pretty straight course during those years. My memories of those years were tagging along to the drive-in, going to the A&W for root beer, riding on the back of his Honda 50. Then there were the proms and school dances. I’m pretty sure Kris and Kathy attended every dance, and their junior year they were voted King and Queen of the Junior Prom. To a ten year-old girl in more innocent times I was star struck. They looked so grown up and glamorous. Mom hosted a sit down dinner before the prom. Mike and Jackie, Harry and Gayle. All of them seemed so dashing and grown up! After Kris graduated from high school, he attended UCD where he eventually majored in psychology. He lived at home that first year, played on the UCD football team and continued to work in construction. In 1968 Mom and dad took another sabbatical to Vienna, this time with only Steve and I in tow. Kris stayed at 1002 Cornell Drive and rented it with some buddies. I’m not sure exactly what happened that year, lets just say it looked like he and his roommates had a pretty good time. He and Kathy broke up sometime in there, but reconciled after about a year or so. Soon after they were planning a wedding. They were married on August 8^th, 1970 in a back yard ceremony at a friend’s house out in Willowbank. Their next two years were spent in Davis finishing up school, Kris at UCD, Kathy at Sac State. Soon after they moved to Alaska, where Kris decided to try his hand at plumbing and construction, he put in grueling hours but loved the pay. Kathy taught pre-school and Kindergarten. The winters were hard and Kathy missed her family and friends, so after a couple of years Kathy moved back to Davis and Kris followed shortly thereafter. They rented a house over on Colgate Drive and Kris went back to working for Don Gale Construction. He was a very hard worker, always giving it his most. In 1977 Ryan was born, what a cute baby he was, their family was beginning. That same year he and Kathy bought their first house on Miller Drive. In 1980 Michael arrived with a bang, two months premature, but healthy and a fighter. He had red hair just like his Dad. Kris juggled his time between work and home. Kathy continued her education and teaching part time in Vacaville. In 1983 they purchased the house that we had grown up in on Cornell Drive. By this time Kris had started working for a construction company in Santa Rosa, commuting back a forth every day. It wasn’t long after that that he and one of his work mates, Bill, decided to start their own company. Cello & Maudru was established in 1987. My parents offered to help out with some start up capital, but Kris said no. He had saved and invested. Cello & Maudru started getting choice jobs, and developed a reputation for excellent craftsmanship. Kris’s dedication and hard work were paying off. Kris and Kathy eventually moved to North Davis and a year or so later I bought 1002 Cornell Drive. As part of the deal Kris renovated it and transformed it into something I could call my own, going above and beyond the original plans. That was his nature always wanting to do it right. As time went on Cello & Maudru continued to prosper and grow. Kris did his best to balance work and home, by this time Ryan was attending UC Santa Barbara, Michael was finishing up high school and would soon be off to Cal Poly. Unfortunately all of his hard work started to take its toll on Kris’s body. Too many years of hard labor, too much time spent sitting in his car commuting between the office, job sites, and home. His body started to protest. A ruptured disc, living with constant back pain, he spent many years in excruciating pain, but not many knew it to look at him. He still continued to work. Not quite as much physical labor, but still at the site or place he needed to be to make sure the job was being done to the standard that Cello & Maudru had grown their reputation on. All during this time Kris also played. Winter ski vacations at Kirkwood, snowboarding with the kids, summer vacations at the cabin up at Lake Tahoe. He loved to accumulate toys, a ski boat, snowmobiles, cars, motorcycles, even his last purchase of an ATV so he could go on the camping trip that fateful weekend last July. As the boys grew and left home for college Kris and Kathy traveled to Hawaii numerous times, Kris liked to golf, Kathy was happy to ride along in the golf cart. She just treasured the time they spent together. Kris also loved music and from the time he started working he began buying 45’s and albums. While Kris worked and played Kathy kept things going at home. When Kathy’s dad fell ill, Kris took on the added responsibilities of caregiver, so he could spend his final months close to them. He also managed to find the time to care for our Dad during his illness spending every 3^rd night with him for almost a year. He would have done the same for many. Kris was about family and I know he loved Kathy and the boys more than anyone or anything else on earth. He was very happy and proud of Michael and Ryan and looking forward to many family events that were on the horizon. Michael and Leslie were starting to plan their wedding and Ryan had just moved back to Davis and along with Shelley and Jonah were starting to set up their own household. I have only touched the surface of Kris. The best way that I can describe Kris, is heart, he had a huge heart. It was apparent in everything he did. Sometimes that heart could be bruised, sometimes be too quick to trust, too easily taken advantage of, but it never stopped loving. Kris was a good man, with a lot of life left to live when he was injured, and I know he would be overwhelmed by the amount of support and kindness that so many people have shown to his family over the last ten months.

Thank you,

Susanne