Corporal Chris ShallowSupplied
Son, brother, friend, soldier. Born Sept. 28, 1982, in Montreal. Died Jan. 25, 2012, in Ottawa of cancer, aged 29.
Long before his passing, Corporal Chris Shallow had earned a reputation for being remarkable. That reputation was no surprise to his parents, who saw it from the time Chris was young.
As the oldest of four siblings, Chris was a considerate and respectful child with an infectious personality. He had an ever-growing circle of friends for whom he cared deeply; when someone was down, or needed help, Chris was the natural choice. As he grew, his sense of duty to others also grew.
To keep a balanced picture of him growing up: He once wiped his chocolate-covered face on his neighbour's white pants, scratched the family car with his bicycle on the way down the driveway, and developed a comic sense comparable to Jim Carrey. He was known for causing people to break into uncontrolled laughter, and prolonging the hilarity until his audience had sore cheeks and tears in their eyes.
Always an overachiever, Chris would immerse himself fully in any endeavour he pursued and, as for many Canadian boys, hockey was a big part of life. His drive to always improve was inspirational to those around him and resulted in teams playing better and jobs being completed faster and most importantly, everyone finishing with a smile on their face.
Chris joined the Canadian Forces in the summer of 2004 and after completing basic training was posted to serve with the Royal Canadian Regiment at CFB Petawawa. He excelled as a soldier, and when he heard about the formation of the new Canadian Special Operations Regiment in 2006, he sensed a new challenge.
Training with the new regiment was long and difficult, but Chris's extraordinary fitness and personality served him well and he became one of the unit's original Special Operators. He embodied what is known in the army as "warrior spirit," a drive to accomplish any mission, no matter how difficult
Chris served two tours in Afghanistan, where his professionalism inspired confidence in those around him and his empathy kept him focused on his mission to protect Afghan civilians. He never wavered in the performance of his duty in spite of extreme danger and hardship, and was often the catalyst for good morale in his unit.
But facing down the Taliban was not to be Chris's toughest fight. Shortly after returning from his second tour in Afghanistan, he was diagnosed with brain cancer. With courage, determination and humour, he continued to grace us with his indomitable spirit for two more years, far longer than the doctors expected.
Chris was laid to rest following a military funeral in Ottawa's Beechwood Cemetery, surrounded by family, friends, and the soldiers he served with. His courage remains an example to all who knew him.
By C aptain Dennis Power, on behalf of Chris's family and friends