Christopher Bruce "Kit" Mayer

On Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014, a wonderful 20-year-old young man died in a motorcycle accident just north of Salmon, Idaho. Christopher "Kit" Bruce Mayer was born on November 29, 1993, in Missoula to Dorothy "Dale" M. Mayer and the late Douglas W. Mayer. He joined his sister Abby and brother Andrew, thus completing the Mayer family. As the youngest child, his vivacious and outgoing personality kept the family laughing and always moving forward in life. He was a great son, brother, friend and so much more, touching lives everywhere he went.

Kit and his family lived in Stevensville before moving to Missoula in 1996. He attended Paxson Elementary, Washington Middle School and graduated with honors from Loyola Sacred Heart High School in 2012. Kit was a dynamic member of the Loyola community, engaging in many activities that extended far beyond academics. He was a member of the Loyola cross country and track team, affectionately referred to by his teammates as a "distance junkie." He was the first, and only, individual state cross country champion for Loyola, winning the Class B state cross country meet in Missoula in 2011.

At the time of his death, Kit was studying chemical engineering at Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. His ability to simultaneously excel in rigorous academic course work, while also running for the Oredigger varsity cross country team, showcased his true brilliance.

His other interests included hiking, skateboarding, heavy metal music, drums, guitar, snowboarding, wheelchair wheelies, knife throwing and voracious reading of a wide range of literature.

While we are challenged to find words that adequately describe Kit's extraordinary personality, in recent days friends and family members have shared the following:

"A great young man and one of the happiest people ever known."

"A sweet, kind and funny guy."

"Kit taught me how to stand up for what you believe in and not give a damn if others disagreed."

"Kit showed me how to persevere through adversity in order to succeed."

"A good soul."

"Truly one of a kind."

"I admired Kit for being his own person."

"One of the smartest people I have ever known."

"A young man with great potential who was taken from this world far too early, but his time spent with us was a blessing to all."

"Kit's bright presence and easy smile radiated joy and calm, a unique and stunning balance. Shine on, you beautiful soul."

We will forever miss his smiling face, twinkling eyes, great sense of humor and witty comebacks. We get some comfort imagining Kit with his Dad, smiling down on us. While Kit will no longer be present here with us on Earth, his spirit and infectious smile will live on in our hearts and memories for the rest of our lives.

Donations in Kit's memory may be directed to:

Tamarack Grief Resource Center, 516 South Orange St., Missoula MT 59801, 406-541-8472, www.tamarackgriefresoucecenter.org, or Colorado School of Mines Cross Country Team at 1500 Illinois St., ATTN: David Hansburg, Director of Athletics, Golden, CO 80401 csmorediggers.com/ information/department_ information/GIVEto CSMathletics.

A celebration of life service will take place Friday, Aug. 22, 2014, at 11 a.m., in Missoula at 3500 Duncan Dr., Harmony Stables Services (known to many high school runners as the Llama Farm). Directions: Head north on Duncan Drive, go one mile straight past the stop sign at Lolo Street. Look for the balloons and running shoes at the mailbox on the right. The service will be conducted outside so bring blankets or chairs and dress for the weather. Please bring stories, photos and memories to share together
Read Christopher Mayer's Obituary and Guestbook on www.missoulafuneralhomes.com.