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Christopher Johnell Witherspoon was born on March 17, 1992 in Jacksonville, Florida.
He received his education in the Duval County School District, graduating from First Coast High School, where he affectionately adopted the nickname, "Spoon". While there, he participated in several sports, where football was his #1 passion. Chris furthered his education at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in 2016. He later attended and graduated from Keiser University's Physical Therapy Assistant Program in 2019. The past few years, Chris committed his time working as a Physical Therapist Assistant and was also a dedicated football coach for Pop Warner's Forestview Team until his untimely death.
To know Chris, was to absolutely love him and all of those who experienced his infectious spirit can attest to that. He was a die-hard football fan and was loyal to the Miami Hurricanes and his local home team, The Jacksonville Jaguars. He was a music lover and took on the role of DJ'ing wherever he went. Chris also enjoyed reading books and watching movies. He recently took an interest in financial trading, influenced by his cousin, Brandon.
He deeply cared for his family and loved spending time with them, so much that he recently got "Family" tattooed on his right forearm. You could always count on him for a good time or simply a phone call to see how you are doing. Whether it was hanging out at his Uncle's barbershop in Jacksonville, partying at his Aunt's house in Ocala, or meeting up on "Birda Ave" at his Grandmother's house in Gainesville — his love for his family was never ending.
Chris was the definition of loyalty, and it was displayed through his many pockets of friendships, starting from childhood up until adulthood. He valued maintaining connections to anyone who had a good vibe and constantly made an effort to show up and celebrate those important to him. His laughter was contagious and could put a smile on many faces in even the worst of times. Chris always loved a good joke and was quick on his toes during a rank session. He cherished his relationships with his friends to the point that he even considered some as brothers. His smile lit up a room everywhere he went and he will truly be missed.
Chris and his fiancé, Amber, have shared an inseparable bond for the past decade. On September 2, 2022, they became engaged and shortly after, they excitedly learned that they were expecting twins. They welcomed their beautiful babies into the world on June 8, 2023. Chris was elated to be a father and to have his own family. The happy couple had planned to say "I do" on February 24, 2024.
His legacy will continue to live in the hearts of his mother, Shawn Witherspoon; his sisters, Imani Witherspoon and Shauntae Harilus (Kendy Harilus); his brother, Anthony "Amp" Witherspoon; his grandmothers, Vivian Trammell and Birda Witherspoon; his uncle, Jermaine Foster (Elbonee Foster); his aunts, Tyese Dinkins (Tim Dinkins), Johnette Owens (Derek Owens), Loretta Taylor (Tracy Taylor) and Teresa Wisdom (Kevin Wisdom); his fiancé, Amber Odom and their twin babies, Amaria and Jayceon; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
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