Celebration of Life for Chris Tulley Scheduled for Nov 2

American Whitewater Board of Directors member, Chris Tulley, of Folsom, CA, passed away on Friday, October 4th while paddling the South Fork of the Feather River, near La Porte, California. The entire American Whitewater family is deeply saddened by his passing and eternally grateful for his dedication to our organization and river stewardship. Chris was a  longtime contributor to American Whitewater in numerous ways, including in his service as a Board member, as a volunteer working closely with our California staff, and as a lifetime member.

We offer our deepest condolences to his family and those closest to him, and also to the team he was paddling with, who made every effort to rescue him. 

Membership and Engagement Director Bethany Overfield remembers Chris and his enthusiasm for supporting American Whitewater fondly. “Chris was one of our greatest cheerleaders at American Whitewater–from the moment I landed at AW six years ago. “What do you need?” was the most common question he asked and I am so appreciative of that thoughtfulness. He was intensely interested in helping us grow our membership base and we had many fruitful discussions about it. He was always so stoked–his sunny disposition was infectious and I will miss him dearly.”

California Stewardship Director Theresa L. Lorejo-Simsiman also remembers him similarly. “Chris’ support to me personally and to American Whitewater can never be replaced. He always began our conversations with, “how can I help.” He loved our rivers and his friends, but most of all I know he loved his family.”

Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director Thomas O’Keefe sums up our staff feelings about Chris Tulley well. “He was such a source of energy and inspiration on the American Whitewater Board, constantly asking questions, challenging assumptions, and making a genuine investment in the work we do to protect and restore rivers. We had a whole lot of fun when we were together. We will really miss him.”

Executive Director Clinton Begley reflects, “Chris wasn’t only unafraid to ask the hard questions, he understood the incredible value of it for refining strategy and clarifying purpose. I learned a lot from Chris and genuinely enjoyed thinking with him, so I’ll miss his strategic mind as much as we will all miss his kind and generous heart.”

A Celebration of Life for Chris is scheduled for 2 pm PST, Saturday, November 2nd, in Coloma, CA at Camp Lotus. Details for the event are still being finalized, but there will be a dinner and camping at Camp Lotus will be available for both Friday and Saturday nights. Click here for the event page and for more details as they emerge. 

A memorial GoFundme has been created. “In order to provide support to Chris' wife and young daughter during this difficult time and support a Memorial Service for Chris (in planning now), we'd like to offer Chris' friends an opportunity to contribute.