Christopher Mcgeehan

December 31, 1969 — July 15, 2023

Christopher "Christy" James McGeehan died on July 15 ^th 2023, after spending his entire almost 72 years doing things that other people think about but are too afraid to do. He was born on September 23, 1951 in Donnycarney, Dublin, Ireland and to be certain, his heart remained there until the end. But his courage was also forged there, in a fire of poverty, pain, and abuse. Raised primarily by his mother Elizabeth and his older sisters, Christy's greatest act of bravery was to break that cycle. It wasn't a perfect process, but the love and admiration felt for him by his three children and four grandchildren, his wife, his siblings, his friends and his acquaintances is proof positive that he was a kind and reliable man. To be just truly that after such a childhood is bravery more than most people have on it's own, but Christy's acts of courage didn't end there, they began there. Christy left school and started working at the age of 12, helping the milkman deliver milk by horse and cart. He would spend his adolescence working to help support his family and getting into trouble both good and bad with a group of friends that would stay close well into adulthood. Through those Donnycarney lads, Christy would meet a tall fella in wire rimmed glasses named Paul McGrath. Paul and Christy would remain friends and brothers for the rest of Christy's life, Paul being no stranger to courage himself. There were many adventures had over the next 50 years, including a legendary trip to Spain that produced some of the funniest stories Christy ever told, and that is saying something because he was deeply, wonderfully, naturally funny. But the most crucial thing that Paul would bring into Christy's life, turned out to be his sister, Brigid. In Brigid McGrath, just home in 1972 from a trip to Israel that her parents had forbidden her to go on, Christy met his match. Brigid was equally dedicated to living life on her own terms, and as such they lived together for several years before getting married, and when they did marry, it was in a civil ceremony, not a church. To do these things in the 1970s in Ireland was unheard of, and these are just two examples of the ways in which Brigid and Christy would march with conviction to the beat of their own drum. For him, it had to her, because she was as brave as he was. Christy and Brigid would have 3 children, and in the 1980s they would make the decision to leave Ireland because at that time it seemed like there would never be the kind of opportunities there that somewhere else could offer. The McGeehan's immigration visa application was randomly pulled out of a bag in an office somewhere, and in 1987 Christy packed a bag and flew to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was following Paul, who had followed his brilliant wife Kathleen back to her hometown. In January of 1988 Brigid and the kids followed and they made a new life in a new country, again an act of great courage on it's own. During his life Christy went skydiving, he learned to play guitar, he played and sang on stage, he lit fireworks in the backyard, he drove fast, he went back to school, got sober, had a heart attack, quit smoking, learned woodworking, changed careers, and a thousand other things. That other people think about but are too afraid to do. When the time came, he was not afraid of death. He faced that journey with the same courage as everything else. He spent his final weeks being cared for and loved by his family, and passed peacefully in his huge mansion in Bay View. From the beginning of this hideous road to the end, the only part that went the way it was meant to, and the way he wanted it to, was his death. For that, his family is deeply grateful to Horizon Hospice. His family is also immensely in awe of all of the nurses, therapists, and technicians that cared for Christy, particularly his buddies from the ICU at St Francis. But not Phyllis, she was awful. Christy was preceded in death first by his older brother Noel McGeehan, followed by his precious mother Elizabeth, whom he loved so much. And his father, whom also died. Christy was also preceded in death by his four sisters; Jean("Jackie"), Linda, Barbara, and Sandra. He is survived by his two younger biological brothers, Arthur and Gerard McGeehan, and dozens of nieces and nephews who always thought he was very cool and were correct. He is survived as well by the family that adopted him as a brother, The McGraths. Ronald, Kate, Joan, Anna, Martha, Thomas, Margaret and most especially brothers Paul and Peter. Like all brothers, they had their moments of discord. But like all brothers, they were still brothers. He is further survived by his 3 children, Abbie, Ruth and Fergus. When asked about them he would describe them as being "Each exceptional in their own way." Although he didn't have much in the way of guidance in how to be a parent, he raised three adults who all abhor injustice, who believe in speaking up, and who will take care of each other forever. Christy was a loving Grumps to his grandchildren, Evangeline, Penelope, Finnegan, and Rory. They are all the best parts of him. Artistic, empathetic, funny, and so smart. He loved them, they brought him immense joy, and him being a beloved Granddad was the culmination of a life of fun and of laughter, even in the face of darkness. And he is survived by his wife and partner of 50 years, Brigid. Together they took the world by storm. And they built a life that neither of them could have imagined as children. They supported each other's dreams to break free and to be different, and they encouraged their children to do the same. We didn't have enough time with Christy, that will always be true. But it is also true that while he was alive, he lived. There are very few things, if any, that got left on his bucket list. Because when you are as brave as he was, even time is no limit. In lieu of flowers, please donate to https://www.womensaid.ie/ , an Irish national organization working to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse since 1974. Or https://blacklivesmatter.com/

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Christopher Mcgeehan

December 31, 1969 — July 15, 2023

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