Chris’s Life’s Adventures
Christopher Michael Elms was born on April 13, 1945, in Dayton, Ohio, the first child of Patricia Pafford Elms and James Cornelius Elms IV, their only son.
His early childhood was spent in Dayton, Pasadena and then Newport Beach, California. He was the big brother of Suzanne, Francesca, and Deborah. After the family moved to Denver, CO, Chris enjoyed his middle school years skiing in the mountains and finding like-minded friends, stating those were “my happiest school years.” After a year in Cincinnati, OH due to his father’s career in missile defense and aerospace, his family returned to southern California.
Chris’s high school years were filled with accomplishments and accolades. He was a National Merit Scholar, head of the Engineering Club, President of the Student Council, an Eagle Scout, a member of the swim team, the head of the youth group at church, a trumpet player, a surfer, and high school valedictorian at Newport Harbor High School.
He followed in his father’s footsteps to matriculate at Caltech as a math major, transferring to Stanford and graduating with a degree in Political Science.
Chris moved to Bedford-Stuyvesant in New York City to become a community organizer as a VISTA Volunteer. He married Peggy Cunningham and they moved to northern California. He was a primary school teacher in Gilroy, a founder of a commune, a student of The Gurdjieff Method (a precursor of the Enneagram), studied the Fischer-Hoffman Process, and started a Landscaping Design Company. He and Peggy began a family with the birth of a daughter, Wenonah, and a son, Brendan, settling in Berkeley, CA until the marriage ended.
During the years 1996-2009, Chris moved to Sonoma, CA, where he was one of the founders of the Sonoma Community Garden. He studied with and became a practitioner of Byron Katie. He trained extensively and was certified in the Anat Baniel Method of Feldenkrais.
He moved to Orcas Island for a year, discovering a new community, gardening and biking and practicing Feldenkrais.
Chris moved to Austin, Texas in 2010, attracted to the idea of “Keep Austin Weird.” He decided that he would fit in. He continued his Feldenkrais practice as he explored the city and its parks on his bike. He became a father-in-law to Hiwa Chow and a grandfather to Lily Kawena and Grace Kawehi. He met Carol Williams in 2015 and they married in 2016. Chris trained as a CTI Coactive Coach. He continued to share his thoughts in a blog and a website and began writing his book, Love, Lust, & Enlightenment. Chris and Carol enjoyed traveling, painting, attending retreats and the cultural scene of Austin. Chris moved on to his next adventure October 16, 2021.
Chris’s passions were many. Here are a few to consider donating to:
Sonoma Garden Park https://www.sonomagardenpark.org National Parks Conservation Association https://www.npca.org Planting Justice https://www.plantingjustice.org ACLU https://www.aclu.org Conspirare https://www.conspirare.org