Christopher Alan Cole was born in Odessa, Texas on December 17, 1960, and passed away  peacefully and unexpectedly in Spring, Texas on October 13, 2025.

Chris's life was one of achievement. He was born prematurely, which left him with a severe to  profound sensorineural hearing loss. In 1960 there were limited services for any child with a disability, much less the hearing impaired. At the age of 4, he attended a private school for the  hearing impaired in Dallas, Texas which focused on developing oral language. He lived with a host family while attending Pilot School for The Hearing Impaired, now known as Callier Speech and Hearing. He attended this school for 2 years before returning to his biological family full time in Odessa. This was perhaps one of the hardest things his family ever had to do, but he thrived.

He attended St. John's School and public school in Odessa from that point on until he  graduated from Permian High School class of 1980. He received an associate degree from The  Southwest Institute for the Deaf in mechanical drafting. He used this knowledge for several years before working in a shutter business. He had a strong work ethic throughout his life. He  was employed by GR Birdwell Construction company and considered it a great blessing to work with a group of such kind, decent people. At the age of 50, he received a cochlear implant, which provided much better acuity than he had ever had with hearing aids. It was a joy to watch  him "hear" and identify sounds that he didn't know existed, such as rain, the sound of brushing teeth, cicadas, and birds singing. While this additional amplification greatly assisted him, he still  lived in a world of silence when the amplification was off or not working.

It's hard to sum up a life as full and vibrant as Chris's in just a few paragraphs. Reading through  the wonderful messages from friends and family who knew him, a clear pattern emerged: words  like kind, special, always smiling, friendly to everyone, funny, and playful came up repeatedly.  Chris had a unique ability to light up a room with his presence and make people feel seen and  loved.

Chris was an avid sports fan. He loved cheering on his favorite football teams, following the  Astros during baseball season, and relaxing while watching golf. Beyond sports, he found joy in  the outdoors. Whether he was hunting, fishing, or just spending time in nature, that's where he  felt most at peace.

More than anything, Chris loved his family. He lived his life with deep devotion to those he cared  about, and that love was returned many times over. His legacy is one of love and laughter, of  moments shared and many wonderful memories.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Marcia Cole.

Christopher is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Jodi Dodd Cole; daughters, Emily Cole Decker and Camryn Cole; son-in-law, Patrick Decker; grandchildren, Oliver, Dallas, and  Charlotte; sisters, Kimberly Cole Patchell (John) and Nancy Cole Gobel (Allen); 2 nieces, 4 nephews, 5 great nieces, 6 great nephews; father-in- law, Joe Dodd; brothers-in-law, Pat and David Dodd, and many additional loved ones, who he cherished.

Though our hearts are heavy, we take comfort in knowing that Chris is now whole in heaven.  His smile, his spirit, and his love will remain with us always.

Celebration of his life will be held Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 4:00 at Northwoods  Presbyterian Church, 3320 Cypress Creek Pkwy. Houston, TX 77068