Christopher DeGroot
DEGROOT, MCFARLANE, ROACH, WEISS
Posted By: Lisa Ciha (email)
Date: 7/12/2016 at 15:15:53
Late in the evening of Thursday, July 7, 2016, Christopher "Chris" Paul DeGroot passed away due to cancer at the age of 62. He was surrounded by his wife and children. Services for Chris will be Friday, June 15 at 10:00 AM at St Wenceslaus Catholic Church, 630 E Davenport Street in Iowa City.
Chris was born in Green Bay, WI. He was the second child and the first son of Roger John DeGroot and Mary Ann Berceau DeGroot.
Chris and his wife of 33 years, Barbara, met in Kansas City at The Ramos Group Architects. The couple has four children: Maren DeGroot McFarlane married to Dan McFarlane, Analies DeGroot, Kaes DeGroot married to Abby Whittenbaugh, and Andre DeGroot -- and a black lab, Juno.
As a young boy, Chris was in Boy Scouts, earning the Ad Altare Dei Cross Award. The Latin phrase, originating from Psalm 43, means "to the Altar of God" and was part of the preparatory prayers at the beginning of the Tridentine Mass: "Introibo ad altare Dei" ("I will go up to God's altar"). His commitment to Boy Scouts led him to eventually earning the rank of Eagle Scout, fulfilling all requirements except bothering to show up to the award ceremony.
Attending Catholic school for most of his education, Chris enjoyed learning French at a young age. He attended De Smet Jesuit High School in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Louis.
Chris pursued his passion in architecture at the University of Kansas and graduated with a professional degree in architecture and an endorsement in interior design. During his time at KU, he discovered his lifelong passion of sailing at the KU Sailing Club and created many lasting friendships with other sailors at KU's Lake Perry. Incidentally, he chose this destination as the site of his first date with his wife, Barbara, on July 27, 1982. He spent many weekends working on his original 1949 Lightning Class sailboat, which was a labor of love and on which he taught his children to sail -- one of the many lessons he taught them.
A major life philosophy of Chris' was that he would rather execute a well-constructed plan once than have to do it again. During his many home improvement projects, he was known to crack open a cold lager, pull up a chair, and contemplate the best designs until he was satisfied he found the best way forward.
Chris enjoyed watching the Green Bay Packers play and often would wear his Packers jersey, have a beer, and sit in his chair that made him look as if he were at the game in the bleachers, cheering on his team loudly and offering friendly advice as if the players and coaches could hear!
In 2015, Chris was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, but though the disease slowed him down physically, he continued to work through his pain and find great solace in his architectural practice. In his 19 years with Neumann Monson, Chris was often called upon to lead rigorous projects, which he did with great focus and success -- the largest of which is the University of Iowa School of Music, scheduled to open August, 2016.
Chris spent his last year on Earth living life doing what he loved, working on his architectural projects, sharing his quick wit, laboring on his sailboat, and being with his family as he continued to show grace and humility in his walk with Jesus Christ.
Chris is survived by his wife Barbara, daughters Maren and Analies, sons Kaes and Andre, brothers John DeGroot and Peter DeGroot, sisters Catherine DeGroot Roach and Mary Jo DeGroot Weiss, and parents Roger John DeGroot and Mary Ann Berceau DeGroot.
Special thanks to Dr. Yousef Zakharia of UIHC, who, like Chris, did not give up; to his nurse Jheri, who directed us to the ER; and to the Iowa City Hospice team. Also to Brian Theis and Bob Michael for showing their Iowa roots and going above and beyond.
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