Christopher Michael Laird

November 27, 1999 – April 6, 2020

Christopher Michael Laird, age 20. Christopher was the first child to be adopted at 5 months old.  He came to us on April 21, 2000, on Good Friday.  Christopher left this life to join his birth mother, Lorianne Helen King, and his Heavenly Father to welcome him into the comfort of His arms.

Survived by mother, Robin Ann (Dohn) Laird; father, Robert Edward Laird; sisters: Elisabeth Marie Slinkard (Brandon), Lorianne Oakley Laird, Shelby Marie Laird, Sabrina Ann Laird and Samantha Jean Laird; grandparents: Irene and Frank Dohn and Geraldine and Robert Laird; aunts, uncles, cousins and nephew, Walden Lee Slinkard and friends who mourn his loss.

Christopher graduated high school from Madonna School and Community Based Services and was in his second year of Transition.  He was a role model for first year Transition students and grew in his independent living skills.  He was a happy child who loved to smile and laugh, especially when he would watch Full House and The Cosby Show.  He loved Halo, Spiderman and Sonic video games.  His especially loved music, all kinds of music from The Candy Man to Disney songs from every movie.  He enjoyed the piano but especially the bass and learning new songs.  He was excited to join the choir and practiced singing songs while watching YouTube videos for the words.

He suffered all his life from medical issues but is now rejoicing, laughing, singing and smiling in heaven.  Chris, your smile will remain in our hearts forever!

VISITATION following CDC Guidelines: Tuesday, April 7^th from 3pm to 7pm, at the West Center Chapel followed by Family VIGIL SERVICE.  Family MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL: Wednesday, April 8^th, 11am, St. Robert Bellarmine Catholic Church.  INTERMENT: Resurrection Cemetery.  Memorials are suggested to Madonna School.

To view a live broadcast of the Vigil Service, click on link: https://boxcast.tv/view/christopher-michael-laird-663943

To view a live broadcast of the Funeral Mass, visit www.stroberts.com.

To view the video scrapbook, click this link:  https://boxcast.tv/view/christopher-laird-video-scrapbook-clxargbjjenqtwed7eqe

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Lisa’s Eulogy

Hello everyone. We are here today to celebrate the life of my sweet, amazing brother Christopher. For anyone that doesn’t know me, I am his oldest sister, Lisa. Chris was an awesome brother.  He was funny, hardworking, loving, and kind. I don’t know a single person that didn’t love him.  We had a big family, with 6 adopted children, and even among all of the sibling squabbles, Chris always found a way to make us laugh.

I first met Christopher when he was around 5 months old, and I was about to turn 5.  Even as he grew and flourished into the awesome adult he was, I always teased him that he would be my forever baby brother. He was the first child added to the family, shortly followed by myself and Oakley.  His early childhood was spent in small-town Virginia, as our family grew and was completed with Sabrina, Shelby and Samantha.  When we were young kids, one of our favorite games was pretend school.  He was the BEST play student, as we practiced reading and shapes and colors.  He picked up on these things so quickly, and grew to love reading books, especially superhero comics, Captain Underpants, and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Our family relocated to Omaha in the summer of 2006 when the school we attended in Virginia was in the process of closing.  Here in Omaha, he attended Blessed Sacrament School, and then moved on to Madonna School, where he learned so much and made so many friends.  He graduated from high school at Madonna as well and was working his way through the Transition program there to get ready for a job and further his independence skills.

He was such a hard worker and overcame so many challenges through the years.  Not only was a hard-working student, he was also a great team member on various sports teams at school.  Most notable to me were his speed and throwing accuracy in football.  Once Chris got his hands on the ball and started running, there was no catching up.  He was always so proud to have family watch and support him in his games, and I know he loved being with his friends and teammates.

Christopher had lots of hobbies.  He was a true video game fanatic and could tell you anything you wanted to know about the Halo franchise and different sonic games he loved so much.  He must have played through them dozens of times, looking for special Easter eggs and glitches.  When we would visit with him, he’d beg for Brandon, my husband to play a few rounds.  He was so proud to have a big brother when Brandon married into our family and took every opportunity, he could to hang out with him or crack jokes.  He also used to draw comic books by either inventing his own story, or by remaking one of his favorite movies into a comic strip. Once Brandon joined our family, he had a character created just for him in the Super-Atti series Chris was working on.

Chris loved movies and was always poking fun at me for not having seen any of the recent ones.  As kids, we would put on plays and make home movies, reenacting our favorite scenes from Disney movies like the Incredibles and Star Wars.  With his love of movies also came an appreciation for music.  He loved to listen to soundtracks from his favorite movies and video games.  He was always on the lookout for special remakes and remixes of his favorite soundtrack songs to show us.  Chris was the life of the party when it came to music and dancing.  He could dance to anything for hours on end – and I mean high energy, excited dancing that no-one else could keep up with for long.  He loved to dance and find the rhythm, and also to make people laugh with his silly dance moves.  At school, he was learning the bass guitar in band.

Chris was a loving brother, son, friend and also uncle.  He was so excited to meet my son Wally after he was born in 2018, and always asked how he was doing.  He would tell me how proud he was when Wally would learn something new and was an expert in back and shoulder rubs to help Wally sleep at family events.  He was ecstatic when we announced our 2nd baby on the way, and I am so sad that she will never get to meet her uncle Chris.

There are a million things I could share or say about my brother.  He was a man of many talents and interests.  There are countless stories from growing up, both funny and sweet. There are so many things that he wanted in his life, and so many goals.  I never really imagined I would be up here condensing some of the highlights of his beautiful life into just a few minutes. He really was unforgettable, and I will remember him every day for the rest of my life.  We all love you Christopher, and we miss you so much already. Even though I never got to say goodbye, I hope you are at peace and will watch over us all as we walk through our lives.  Thank you for all you taught us about family and love.

Oakley’s Eulogy

I love you Chris.

I don’t understand why it was your time to go. but i know you are in a better place and heaven gained the sweetest most loving angel. you had the purest soul, you had absolutely no hate in your heart and your smile could brighten anyone’s day. You were like my twin. we were only 2 months apart. we had so many good times and i hate that our time has been cut short. You always made me laugh, and you always helped me find ways to distract myself when I was hurting, you didn’t even know how much you helped me but I know you’re listening to me now. So please know you were the upmost best brother anyone could ask for. I’m going to miss you beating my butt every time we would played video games. you even tried letting me win. Yet I’m pretty sure I only won a few times. I’m going to miss listening to music n dancing around. and trying to out-eat you even though anyone who knows you knows that is impossible. I’m gonna miss doing art together. I’m gonna miss trying to convince you to take pictures with me. I’m gonna miss your jokes. honestly, I can’t name everything I’m going to miss cuz that’d take hours. I’m just gonna miss you so much buddy, you are the best brother anyone could ask for. I wish I didn’t have to write this. I wish we were watching a show while you explained to me why the cats aren’t my children instead. I really hope heaven has pizza whoppers and video games. I love you with my whole heart and I miss you so much.
Please watch over me.

Darian’s Eulogy

Memories of Christopher Laird

As one of Christopher’s teachers, I would like to thank you all for the opportunity to share both my, and my fellow teachers’, fondest memories of him.  First, I would like to say what an immense loss this is for the students and staff of Madonna School.  We are mourning his loss greatly and all of us would like to share our deepest condolences to you, his family and loved ones.  Please know that Chris was a beloved part of our family for many years at Madonna.  We have lost a wonderful student, friend, and ultimately an incredible young man in Christopher.

Christopher was a student filled with helpfulness, humor, humanity, and faith.  In many ways he resembled his namesake, St. Christopher. St. Christopher was a tall man of great strength.  Chris boasted of his height, saying he was taller than me (which he probably was).  I will also forever remember Chris’ strength as he hauled large pots of food we cooked together to share with his classmates in the lunchroom.  I can picture him cautioning his friends in the classroom to part the way for him to come through with their shared meal.  “Hot coming through”, he would shout to his friends, all with the biggest smile on his face.  His humor was present each and every day as he shared jokes with us and, in times of our own struggle, helped us to realize why we came together as Madonna.  That even when we worked, we could do so together in team membership and with light hearts.

St. Christopher helped Christ across the river, even when he did not know it was Christ he was holding and protecting on his shoulders.  The story says St. Christopher told Christ he felt as if he were carrying the whole world on his shoulders.  Chris did have extra weight to bear in his life, but he did so knowing that his continued practice and education would help him grow.  He would always talk with me, and everyone at Madonna, about how much he wanted to get a job and be as independent as possible.  He embodied the mission of Madonna and Sister Evangeline when he spoke those words.

Christopher’s Transition teachers, Jeanne Farner and Barbara Thompson, shared with me his many talents from this year of working with him.  He was a great writer and had continued to create a story throughout the whole year.  He was proud of himself when he completed classroom chores, as he called them, without being asked.  He enjoyed learning how to work more and more productively at Bergan hospital, again serving others.  He was becoming so independent that Jeanne would tell Chris how much she needed his help next year to teach new students entering Transition their daily routine and expectations.  I remember his incredible talent for art.  He would share with me all sorts of characters that he would draw in mere seconds. You could see how proud it made him to share his incredible talents with others.

Chris’s spirit will remain with us at Madonna, as I am sure it will with all of you.  His spirit will remain bright because of the faith that he shared with us every day.  During our morning prayerful meditations, I remember Chris would always share his knowledge of the Bible. Like St. Christopher, he spread the love of God through his actions and words.

St. Christopher once said, “I will roam the whole world in search of the mightiest of Kings, and be his servant.”  He proved this when he carried Christ across a deep river, and when he worked to spread his word to all he met.  Even though Chris may not be with us, I know that he will continue to be an inspiration to us.  He taught us how to treat each other with care, to help each other in the humblest of ways, to learn that we can become more of ourselves through perseverance, and that ultimately, we will all come back together again in the sharing of our faith and love of the Lord.

Thank you again from both myself and the entire Madonna community.