One of the things I never considered back in ’98 when I first started writing about anime and the anime industry was that I would be reporting on deaths. Honestly, I don’t write about a lot of them in general as there are far better people able to write those than I and it’s an area that I struggle with in general stemming from my anxieties with the subject and the reality of it.
But then there are those, at times, that I cannot help but write about. One of those is Chris Ayres. He passed away yesterday at 56 stemming from several years worth of medical issues that, as harsh as they were, a whole lot of us thought that he would be the one to beat it. There are those that you just get that sense of them so quickly upon your first meeting that they’ll be able to accomplish anything because they have the will and heart to do so.
I hadn’t seen Chris since before his issues became a lot more problematic in 2017, but for almost twenty years I had encountered him at numerous conventions across the northeast. He was one of those within the industry that did so much to promote the goodwill of it all to people that it was infectious in just how enthusiastic he was, especially in engaging with fans directly and making their experience the best experience. And when you had a convention encounter with Chris, you had a great experience.
He was one of those people that you know was actually listening to you, not just waiting for you to finish so he could talk next.
I mostly engaged online at times with him and at various behind-the-scenes areas of conventions, especially a wonderful time at the first Providence Anime Con. But you knew that no matter where you saw him or dealt with him, he was smiling, and if you were lucky, he was carrying that oversized mug of excellence with him.
Chris had a long and lengthy career as both a voice actor and ADR director and many of those roles and projects have brought a lot of happiness and excitement into people’s lives and that is a wonderous gift to give to the world.
The greater gift is the love and friendship he gave to those that knew him personally as he would do anything for them.
My love and my heart go out to his family and loved ones and what they must face next. There are so many people standing with them that I hope it eases the burden even just a little, and hopefully brings some joy into their lives in the midst of this darker time knowing the impact that he had across so many and for so many years.
— Krystal LaPorte (@WowSuchKrystal) October 19, 2021
