Chris Edward Haga was born on November 17, 1959, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the son of Paul and Waneta Haga. He grew up in Stillwater, and in 1985, he earned his Bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, majoring in Electrical Engineering Technology. In 1995 he earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration at the University of Dallas.
While working at the Stillwater News Press, he met DeLayne Griffiths, who worked for a client of the newspaper company. Although their paths crossed for two years with little more than a polite “Hello,” it was their co-workers who helped encourage Chris to ask her out on their first date in July 1983. They married on July 7, 1984, in Stillwater. A year later, they moved to Midland, Texas, where they both worked for Texas Instruments. He was a Product Engineer and was promoted to Section Manager. He later worked in Quality Control and worked a total of 31 years for Texas Instruments.
Their son Chad Eric was born in 1988 in Midland. After transferring to Sherman, Texas, their second son Christopher “Shane” was born in 1991. Chris was active in his sons’ lives and helped develop their love for sports. He coached both of the boys’ baseball teams for several years and attended as many of their other school and sporting events as possible, even when they were in college.
Chris had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh and make other people laugh. He was an inspirational writer and loved to share his faith through his blog about his cancer journey at CancerOn2Wheels.blogspot.com. He also tried to bring awareness about lung cancer to the public and mentored cancer survivors.
Chris was active in his former churches and served as a deacon. He was on the stage crew for the Christmas Pageant and the evening services, served as the Director of their adult Sunday school class, was a team leader in the children’s ministry AWANAS, hosted a marriage enrichment group, and directed traffic in the parking lot on Sunday mornings. At the time of his death, he was a member of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas.
Chris, age 56, passed away on June 25, 2016, from lung cancer. He had never smoked. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Survivors include his wife of almost 32 years, DeLayne Haga, his son Chad and future daughter-in-law Kate Williams, son Shane Haga, his sister Joyce McCroskey and her husband Larry, sister Cathy Humphrey and her husband Rick, sister Sherri Cochran and her husband Ken, brother Randy Haga and his wife Molly, brother Gary Haga, and numerous nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: LUNGevity Foundation, 228 South Wabash Avenue, Suite 700, Chicago, Illinois 60604 (www.LUNGevity.org) or to Wind River Ranch, 5770 Highway 7, Estes Park, CO 80517, phone 800-523-4212 (www.WindRiverRanch.com).
The family will receive friends during a visitation on Wednesday evening, June 29, 2016, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North at Ridgeview Drive, Allen, Texas.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, June 30, 2016, at Stonebriar Community Church, 4801 Legendary Drive, Frisco, Texas. Interment will follow at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Ridgeview Memorial Park in Allen, Texas.