Christopher George Elvin, Jr.

Christopher George Elvin, Jr was born on May 27, 2004, in Jersey City, New Jersey To Terry-Ann Salmon and Christopher G. Elvin and grew up in Newark and East Orange, New Jersey.  Christopher is survived by his eldest brother Jumaane-Kalif Salmon and his little brother Christian-Omali G. Elvin. Despite being born and raised in the States, Christopher was filled with Jamaican pride.  From an early age, he visited Jamaica often with his family which allowed him to absorb the culture through language, cuisine, music, and dance.  Indeed, he developed a love for all of those things as he got older, becoming fluent in Mandarin and regularly mastering new recipes in the kitchen, where he always had the latest songs blasting through his headphones as he seamlessly transitioned from mixing ingredients to busting out a fun dance move.

Though Christopher had grown into the kind of person who was not shy about showing off his dance skills (especially when he would hear Jersey Club music), he was not always the social butterfly we eventually knew him to be.  As a kid, Christopher was shy but precocious, and one thing was clear: He. Was. BRILLIANT.  

Christopher loved to read and proved himself to be a lifelong learner.  He was the kind of person that wasn’t just good at every subject, he was GREAT.  As a student at North Star Academy in Newark, New Jersey, he would often earn accolades that sometimes came with “homework passes,” but no: Christopher refused to skip an assignment.  He was a hard worker whose work ethic allowed him to dive deeply into any subject, any task, any interest and master it.

In seventh grade, Christopher was accepted into the Wight Foundation, which is a program that helps place academically talented and socioeconomically disadvantaged students from New Jersey into independent boarding schools.  Through the Wight Foundation, Christopher built a tribe of likeminded individuals committed to succeeding and they became his lifelong friends.

With the help of the Wight Foundation, Christopher was accepted to St. George’s School, an independent boarding school in Providence, Rhode Island.  By attending St. George’s School, Christopher expressed how it helped change the trajectory of his life because he flourished there. He loved the people and he would often tell his family how thankful he was to have faculty, staff, and friends create an environment where he felt like he could be himself and simultaneously explore who he wanted to be.  Simply put, St. George’s allowed him to find new interests like squash, track, photography, and Mandarin, which was his most challenging class (and the only one he ever had less than an A in) but that challenge grew into a true passion.

After graduating from St. George’s, Christopher attended the University of Richmond (UR) where he continued to develop his interests and explore new ones by joining the Ultimate Frisbee team and Weightlifting Club. He became a world learner by traveling to Taiwan last summer for a Mandarin intensive, and he was looking forward to seeing more new places this summer.  Christopher recently declared his major in Business Administration with a minor in Chinese Studies, and he served as the president of West Indian Lynk, which allowed him to bring his fellow Caribbean students together.  He was great at bringing people together.  Socially, Christopher’s UR family helped crack the shell that his brilliant personality used to hide behind.  The once shy Christopher now loved meeting up with friends at the gym and going to parties. Thanks to the community he built at UR, everyone in Christopher’s life got see even more just how beautiful his soul was.

At home, Christopher was just as amazing. Every time he went back to New Jersey, he would bring the best energy with him, and his presence brought new life to every room he walked into. Christopher enjoyed spending time with his family.  He lived with his stepmom Darlene, his dad Christopher, and his little brother Christian. Christopher would chuckle every time someone would affectionately refer to him, his, dad and brother as “A Tribe Called Chris.”  He was the best brother and cousin—he would often take Christian and their cousins to the park, bike riding, and sometimes he would just drive around aimlessly just so he could spend time with them.

Christopher loved going to family events where he would greet everyone with the warmest smile and the tightest hug that could soften anyone’s heart. He had a way of working a room that allowed him to spend quality time with everyone there. Though he rarely sought to be the center of attention, he always stood out and it wasn’t because of his height. Rather, his intelligence coupled with his thoughtfulness, warmth, and genuine interest in everyone around him made him exceptional.

The last days without Christopher have been surreal for Christopher’s family and all those who knew and loved him.  This is an incredibly difficult time, and while it feels impossible not to mourn, Christopher’s life is to be celebrated.  His family is thankful for the time they had with him and for the outpouring of love and support from all of Christopher’s communities. Christopher is missed deeply and will never be forgotten.

If You Would Like To Send A Flower Arrangement To The Service Being Held On Saturday, April 13, 2024, Please Be Aware That The Deadline For Ordering Through Our Online Portal Is Thursday, April 11, 2024, AT 2:00 PM; ANY ORDERS PLACED AFTER 04/11/2024, 2:00PM WILL NOT BE PROCESSED.

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