Christopher James Oneka

Our beautiful Christopher passed away in his sleep on April 10th after 25 trips around the sun. His family is devastated that he didn’t get more time to share with us but are grateful we were graced with his sweet, gentle presence while he was here.

As a young boy Chris showed a natural athleticism and loved gymnastics. He could often be found doing handstands in the most unusual places – the bathtub, his pediatrician’s rolling stool, coffee tables, and high up on tree branches – terrifying and amusing any adults in the vicinity. He was a promising competitive young gymnast until an injury moved him on to other interests including mountain biking, fishing and computer gaming.

Chris was bright and inquisitive and excelled academically. He applied for and was admitted to a program for students at the local community college as a 9th grader. The hardest thing for him was deciding what he wanted to focus on. He loved math, finance, business, and computer programming. Watching his mom struggle with neurological issues recently convinced him that he would apply to medical school and focus on neurology or endocrinology. He also loved music and singing and took voice lessons to enhance his beautiful voice.

As brothers, Anthony and Chris adored each other and the typical childhood disagreements were becoming a more mature understanding and respect for each other. They both enjoyed good southern BBQ, hanging out with friends, and shared a love of animals, especially their family dogs. Chris was the best little brother Anthony could have ever asked for.

Despite Chris’s quiet demeanor on the surface, he enjoyed a good prank. He once talked his cousin into hiding with him behind some busy recycling dumpsters and when people would pull up, they would rush out and introduce themselves as “valets” and offer to sort and discard whatever was brought for recycling. Anything that caught their eye was put aside and used later to “decorate” the yards of unsuspecting friends.

Christopher is survived by his loving parents, Traci and Tony Oneka; his big brother Anthony; uncles Michael Oneka and Daniel Oneka; aunts Judi Palumbo (Michael) and Binky Walker (Robert Taylor-Manning); cousins Austin, Morgan, Matthew, Makenna, Mitchell and Maxwell Oneka and Jacob and Maura Palumbo; girlfriend Amber Ireland; numerous friends; and his trusty canine companions London and Rooty. Christopher was preceded in death by his grandparents Dan and Madeline Oneka and Russell and Janet Walker and foster uncle James Salois.

In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations in Chris’s name be sent to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia – a rehabilitation center for people with spinal cord and other neurological injuries. https://www.shepherd.org/ or the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy in Asheville, NC, https://www.appalchian.org. The family would also love for you to share with them your stories and memories of Chris.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at a later date. Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family and a guest register is available online at grocefuneralhome.com.

Christopher James Oneka has moved on to his next adventure and we will miss him always. He was once our free spirit and is now our guardian angel.