Christopher Fairweather was known as the “pop star” of the Asda night shifts in Dundee, where he worked throughout his twenties.
“He had the ears pierced. The hair was always done at the time. He just always tried to look good,” his younger brother Gareth recalls with a laugh.
“And he was known for his aftershaves. He would always smell nice. Really, he was a fanatic when it came to aftershave.
“People would go to him for advice about aftershaves and he always went into depth – he was dead strange that way.”
Chris died suddenly after heart stopped beating
Tragically, Christopher – Chris, to those who knew him – died at the age of 36 on Tuesday October 29.
The Angus dad passed away in hospital after his “generous” heart suddenly stopped beating.
Chris was born in Boston, England, on May 3 1988, before moving to Carnoustie.
His little brother Gareth came along four years later.
The pair grew into best friends, and, in later years, were often confused for one another.
“We were so alike. We spoke the same, looked very similar, pulled the same faces,” Gareth says.
“We always used to refer to each other as our ‘four-year-aparter twin.'”
Chris also shared a close bond with his late grandfather, Andrew Strachan ‘Dempster’.
Chris was a ‘father figure’ to younger brother
He and Gareth were close to their mum Susan. Chris stepped into the role of a father figure for his younger sibling.
“He was very protective,” Gareth says.
“He brought me up, he guided me through life and showed me right from wrong.”
Chris attended Barry Primary School and Carnoustie High School.
Growing up, he took a keen interest in sports, including football.
As a teenager, his love of dance music saw him attend trance concerts across the country.
After leaving school he got a job at Morrisons in Arbroath, before joining the Carnoustie Golf Hotel.
Later, he worked at Asda in Dundee, where he made a “huge impression” on his colleagues, Gareth says.
He met many of his closest friends there.
Chris known as ‘a very funny guy’
Chris was known as a “very funny guy”.
“Everyone knew him as that,” Gareth says.
“He just had the best sense of humour.
“People would compare him to Robin Williams.”
His quick wit was just one of his many talents.
Chris was also a keen gamer, ranking number one in the world for Call of Duty in 2015 – one of his proudest achievements.
He loved bodybuilding too, and was always happy to share health and nutrition tips with his friends and family.
Chris underwent a career change in 2015 when he joined his brother as a chef at The Woodlands Hotel in Broughty Ferry.
They worked together for two years, always “incredibly in sync” with one another.
“We used to joke that we were telepathic,” Gareth says.
“I was always dead excited when we were on the rota together”.
And Chris’ passion for cooking only grew over time.
“One of his idols was Gordon Ramsay,” Gareth says.
“He went in depth with his cooking, and he was always trying to invent dishes.
“It was all about finesse.”
Chris was ‘amazing’ dad and step-dad
Chris became known for his carbonara dish – which he often made at the request of his partner Cheryl Craig, 35.
It was in 2016 that Chris “slipped into Cheryl’s inbox on Instagram”, Gareth says.
They quickly fell in love and Chris moved to Edinburgh to be with her.
He became a stepdad to Cheryl’s 13-year-old daughter, Ava.
And on Christmas Day in 2017 the couple welcomed their son Alexander, now six.
Gareth says: “He was a fantastic dad, and he was a great stepdad to Eva as well.
“He used to love taking them on days out.
“I’ve never seen a bond like it, between him and Alexander. They were so close.”
He was “an incredible uncle” to Gareth’s three daughters as well, aged four, 12 and 15.
“He spent a lot of time with them – they absolutely doted upon him.
“Any chance he got, he would see them and spend time with them.
“They just thought the world of him.”
Chris would split his time between the capital city and Monifieth, where his brother and mum live.
Highland Cathedral to be piped at Chris’ funeral
As per Chris’ wishes, he will be piped down to Highland Cathedral at his funeral.
The song, also played at his beloved grandfather Dempster’s funeral, meant a lot to him.
The ceremony will take place at Parkgrove Crematorium in Friockheim on Wednesday December 4.
Donations will be collected for the British Heart Foundation.
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