Christopher (Chris) Layne Eagle

Christopher (Chris) Layne Eagle was born October 6, 1981 in Farmington, New Mexico.  He passed from this life and was welcomed home by his savior on September 19, 2021 in Fort Myers, Florida.  Chris is survived by his son, Kaden of Cape Coral; parents, Lorna and Terry Eagle of Aztec, New Mexico; sister, Jennifer Navarro and children, Isabel and Joaquin of Brookings, Oregon; grandmother, Jean Rice of Farmington, New Mexico; as well as four uncles, three aunts and twenty four cousins and great cousins.

He is preceded in death by his younger brother, Travis Eagle; grandfather, Mendel Eagle; grandparents, Wally and Agnes Grey; great grandmother, Elizabeth Olson; grandfather, Willis Rice and brother-in-law, Tony Navarro; and uncle, Layne Grey. Chris was the first maternal grandchild and was dearly loved by all his family.

Due to Terry’s employment Chris attended school in Louisiana, Texas, California and New Mexico where he graduated from Aztec High School.  He was a member of the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and experienced many outdoor adventures in Texas, California and New Mexico through their activities. There are so many great stories we could share about Boy Scouts but one favorite is when we lived in Monahans, Texas and he and his dad decorated a cake for a contest.  It was so beautiful that they were accused of buying it at the bakery. Later while in New Mexico his troop and his parents as sponsors were blessed to go to the well-known Philmont Boy Scout camp.

Chris was always involved in church and he confessed his faith and was baptized when he was 14 and he was active with the youth group wherever we lived. In high school he played golf earning an athletic letter. One of his favorite activities was participating in the debate team. Anyone who knows Chris, knows it’s was hard to win an argument with him. Kaden says he is stubborn, we agree. He always had a joke up his sleeve and he thought it was hilarious to be the very last of 500 graduates to walk across the stage as his family sweltered in the hot New Mexico sun.

He loved sports. He was an avid fan of the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Cubs and Arizona Wildcats. As a young teenager he began umpiring little league baseball which led to his becoming a certified official in baseball, basketball and soccer in New Mexico and Florida.  He made many friends during his time on the field. He continued officiating until sustaining an injury to his right foot in 2018 that was not related to sports.

Kaden who will be 15 in a couple of weeks was the joy and focus of Chris’s life.  Everything revolved around what Kaden was doing and how he could help him be better. It was important to him to see that Kaden was active in church with his youth group, that he did well in school and that he was able to be involved in the sports he loves.  Chris went to great lengths to ensure Kaden got the extra training to help him improve his game. He loved that Kaden is playing instruments and he and grandpa took a day with Kaden to buy him a trumpet for his soon coming birthday. No father could be more proud of a son.  It was not possible to have a conversation without hearing Kaden’s most recent accomplishments.

He had a special bond with his Grandma Jean; she lovingly gave him the nickname Fido because he liked to tease her and give her a hard time. It was hard for him to get much on grandma because she gave it right back.  He also spent a lot of time with his Aunt Ronda and Uncle Larry when he was younger. She fondly refers to him as booger head and he accuses her of feeding him Spaghetti O’s all of the time.

While Mathew was living in Aztec, he and Chris spent a great deal of time together.  They were close in age and became friends beyond being cousins.  

For the past three summers, Chris and Kaden were able to meet his parents in New Mexico for an extended family gathering and then travel together to Brookings to spend time with Jennifer, Isabel and Joaquin. Chris always had a special bond with his Sissy and he quickly formed that bond with Isabel and Joaquin. He communicated with them often and they are very special to him.

Chris was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was 15 and it was a lifetime battle for him.  The Bible says that God directs our paths and so it is no coincidence that Terry went to help friends in Louisiana after the hurricane and that when he finished earlier than expected, decided to drive to Florida since he was more than half way there. On Sunday (September 19) Chris was coaching Kaden’s recreational soccer team when he lost consciousness and after waking requested medical assistance. Terry called 911 and was present with Kaden when Chris was transported from the soccer field.  He was taken to Gulf Medical Center in Fort Myers where he underwent extensive medical procedures.  Terry and Kaden were present at ICU where CPR efforts were continuous for approximately 30 minutes until he was pronounced deceased from heart failure.

We would be remiss if we didn’t mention the First Baptist Church of Cape Coral. They reached out and helped Chris through a very hard time in his life. They were a God send and we have deep appreciation for the care and loving support Chris and Kaden received from them.

Having already buried one son this was a road we never wanted to travel again but with the faith from the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we will move forward with the cherished memories of almost 40 years with Chris.

Celebration of life service will be held at 3:00 PM Saturday, September 25, 2021 at First Baptist Church of Cape Coral, 4117 Coronado Parkway, Cape Coral, FL 33904 with Pastor Jonathan Phillips officiating.

A celebration of life service will be held later in Aztec, New Mexico with graveside service in Cortez, Colorado.

Mullins Memorial Funeral Home & Cremation Service, Cape Coral, is entrusted with final care.