Christopher John Mass was born on April 22, 1977 in Little Rock, Arkansas, to Veolia Gibson and Johnnie Lee Mass Jr. He completed his elementary and middle school education through the Fulton County School System in Georgia but moved to Plano, Texas, at the age of fourteen and graduated from Plano Senior High. He graduated from West Texas A&M University in Commerce with a B.S. in Business in 2001.
John was a gifted athlete displaying prowess at the age of nine excelling in the basketball program at the local Y.M.C.A. He leveraged his rapidly growing frame and displayed versatility dominating the football field in middle school. Much like John’s height, his love for basketball resurged and rooted its place as his first love. John dominated the court throughout his high school and collegiate matriculation. John transitioned from player to mentor joining Pete Williams, DJ Greene, Shon Hill, and Jason Ross in the formation of Full Court Athletes AAU Basketball Program were John answered the inner call to coach, mentor, guide, and shape the lives of youth basketball players for well over 10 years. In addition to inspiring amateur athletes, he created life bonds with hundreds of families and men who shared the same passion of giving back and paying it forward.
While progressing through his professional journey and leveraging his strong project management and analytical expertise. John had a chance encounter at a party where he made the acquaintance of Andi Manrique. John married his Queen on February 9, 2012. The Mass’ collaborated to form MM Professional Cleaning Services, a post construction company servicing large, local corporate clientele. They were blessed to employ a group of individuals that became extended family over the years.
John was a very balanced, principled, and definitive thinker. He was firm yet compassionate – a gentle giant who saw the best in people and worked to nurture and build meaningful relationships. He was dependable, trustworthy, and incredibly humorous. We all appreciated John’s honesty because it carried a strong undercurrent of authenticity and, in many cases, healing.
In the twilight of John’s life, God blessed him with a plethora of beautiful moments. John experienced one of the most beautiful landscapes that God had blessed us to behold. He took two trips to Hawaii, attended Super Bowl LVI in Los Angeles, enjoyed the winter wonderland of Chicago, felt the pleasant breezes in San Diego while celebrating Andy Manrique’s (Father-in-Law) end-of-life trip, witnessed the amazing lights of Times Square in New York City, and walked his only daughter, Yasmeen, down the aisle. This was the penultimate event in his life, only surpassed by his ultimate walk into glory with our Lord. John truly believed that life gets much better when you choose to be happy. On August 28, 2023 at 11:39pm, The King arrived and took our beloved brother and HIS beloved son home to HIS DIVINE KINGDOM, his final resting place.
John leaves to cherish his memories his beloved wife, Andi Manrique Mass of McKinney, Texas; one daughter, Yasmeen (Brandon) Manrique Fontenot of Denham Springs, Louisiana; one son, Mason Gabriel- Manrique Mass of McKinney, Texas; his mother, Veolia Gibson of Sandy Springs, Georgia; his father, Johnnie Lee Mass Jr. of Plano, Texas; two sisters, Undrea Blakley of Sandy Springs, Georgia, and Toni Gibson of Snellville, Georgia; one grandfather, of ninety-six years, Johnnie Lee Mass of Little Rock, Arkansas; two sister-in laws, Davina (Jake) Manrique of Tempe, Arizona and Naomi Manrique Sharkey of Queen Creek, Arizona; one brother-in-law, Jake Copeland of Tempe, Arizona; and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, uncles, esteemed members of the coaches’ text and a host of friends who loved him dearly.
A funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, September 2, 2023 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas. Interment will follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas. The family will receive friends during a visitation on Friday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. at the funeral home.
The service will be livestreamed at https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/christopher-john-mass. After the service, the recorded livestream will be available at the same link location.