OBITUARY

Christopher Messersmith, age 73, of Irving, Texas, passed away peacefully at home with his family by his side on July 5, 2021, after losing his battle with pancreatic cancer.

Chris was an extremely talented actor whose theatre career began in fifth grade, when he wrote and directed a historical epic about Lincoln. (Chris played John Wilkes Booth.) He appeared on numerous area stages, including Pegasus Theatre, Undermain, Theatre 3, African American Repertory Theatre, Kitchen Dog, Jubilee Theatre, Dallas Children’s Theatre, WaterTower, and others. In August 2020, he portrayed Mark Twain in his one-man show, Dreams of Our Youth, a 90-minute production live-streamed by The Classics Theatre Project. Other credits include the Emmy Award winning series In Search of Heroes, the syndicated radio comedy Just South of Normal, and voices for numerous Anime series for SONY/Funimation. He was the proud survivor of three seasons in a national tour after earning a BA in Theatre and an MA in Directing and Acting.

Outside of his theatrical pursuits, Chris was an accomplished cook, a Christmas fanatic, an artist, and an avid reader. He was crazy about our poodle, Tasha, who rarely left his side during his illness. One of Chris’s hallmarks was his sense of humor, often described as quirky. He could always make people laugh.

Chris is survived by his wife Cynthia, his daughter Gretchen and grandaughter Parker Delgado, his son Travis, and his twin sister Nan Carter.