Chris Nolan Napjus

Chris Nolan Napjus, loving family man, patriot, longtime government servant, and dedicated Orioles fan, died on Tuesday, September 19, 2023 of natural causes; he was 82. Chris was born on December 13th, 1940 in Great Falls, Montana, the second son of Thys and Alice Napjus. As a child and young man he enjoyed playing baseball and basketball with his brother George, working to master chess and bridge, helping in his father’s greenhouse and nursery, and collecting stamps as an amateur philatelist. Chris graduated from Highline High School in Burien, Washington amongst the top of his class in 1958. Chris’s high school academics earned him a scholarship to Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. At Cornell, Chris dove into campus life. He took classes in Mathematics, History, French, Astronomy and more; he joined Cornell’s Army ROTC program; he was a member of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity; and he met his love and partner in life, Barbara Napjus, née Dohren. Chris graduated from Cornell in December 1962 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics. Following graduation, he deployed to Korea to serve in the U.S. Army in fulfillment of his ROTC obligation. Chris achieved the rank of First Lieutenant before retiring from the Army with an honorable discharge on April 15th, 1965. Just three days later, on April 18th, 1965, Chris married his college sweetheart, Barbara. The newlyweds, both computer programmers, settled in Los Angeles, California for only a year before relocating to Seattle, Washington. There Chris attended the University of Washington, obtaining a PhD in Computer Science in 1969. In Washington Chris and Barbara welcomed the first of four daughters, Kirsten, followed later by Elizabeth, Alison, and Catherine. For a decade Chris’s career consulting on U.S. Navy contracts took the family from Seattle to San Diego, California, Newport, Rhode Island, and Annapolis, Maryland. While living in Annapolis, Chris worked at the National Security Agency as a computer scientist, then as a consultant with Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), and later, Dell Computer Corporation. Chris and his family moved to Harrogate, United Kingdom, where they lived for three years. After returning from England in 1986, the Napjus family rooted themselves in Annapolis. The family lived in The Downs community until 2021, when Chris and Barbara moved to Kent Narrows on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Following his official retirement in 2013, Chris enjoyed traveling with Barbara, and occasionally his daughters, to destinations around the world. He “played hard” to achieve the title of Life Master from the American Contract Bridge League, and “cheered hard” as he watched the Orioles move to a number one position this season. Chris relished many a fine meal or glass of wine, or playing a competitive Trivial Pursuit Game, attending the revival of a much-loved musical, reciting poetry, or savoring a quiet moment reading a good book. Chris is survived by wife Barbara, daughters Kirsten, Elizabeth, Alison and Catherine, three grandchildren, four step-grandchildren, and his brother, George. He was a true gentleman who will be missed by his family and all who knew this erudite, gentle giant of a man. A private family memorial was held on Thursday, September 21st. As an expression of sympathy, the family has designated memorial contributions in the name of Chris Napjus to the American Cancer Society (https://donate.cancer.org/).

Chris Nolan Napjus

December 13, 1940 - September 19, 2023