To know him was to love him.

Christopher Dean Coughenour, 40, of Nimitz, WV, died on Sunday, July 17, 2016 after a year-long battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The lymphoma was too aggressive, and his lungs and heart just could not keep up. Now he rests in perfect peace. He has been made new. Chris never failed to follow God's leading, and now God has called him home.

Chris was born on October 11, 1975 in Hinton, WV to Janice and Dean Coughenour. He was a fearless, kind, goofy, lovable kid, and throughout his life, there wasn't anything he tried that he couldn't doand do it better than anyone else. Skateboarding, motorcycling, four-wheeling, jumping from neighbors' roofs (parkour before it was a thing), bike tricks, and just about anything else that nearly gave his mom and dad heart attacks. Chris always managed to land on his feet.

And of course, you can't talk about Chris's life without talking about the banjo. His brother-in-law Eugene Jones taught him to play at a young age, and quite quickly, the protégé surpassed the skills of his teacher. From a "Dueling Banjos" act at his high-school talent show to playing along with Béla Fleck and Flatt and Scruggs on many front porches in West Virginia, the banjo was a source of joy for both Chris and for any person who was fortunate enough to hear him play.

Chris will be remembered for his unfailing love for his children, his silly sense of humor, his positive outlook, and his unwavering faith in Christ. In between cancer treatments in June of this year, he traveled with his three children to Indianapolis and took them to the zoo in 90-degree heat, with an intermittent fever and a terribly painful rash from strep throat. He did not complain for one second of that trip; a big kid himself, he was focused on making it fun for his kids and nieces and nephews. Throughout his journey with cancer, he constantly turned to God for direction, and he rested in the peace of knowing that God was in control. We have no doubt that he was welcomed to heaven with the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." His legacy of joy, hope, strength, and faith will live on through the lives of his three wonderful and beautiful children, Kaela, Brady, and Asher Coughenour.

Chris was a project manager for the Department of Labor's National Mine Health and Safety Academy and was a member of Central Baptist Church in Hinton.

Isaiah 40:31 "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Chris is preceded in death by both sets of grandparents, Hilda and John Yancey, and Blanche and Mel Coughenour. Aunts and uncles, Jack Yancey, Ed Yancey, Kellan Phipps, and Rinda Shannon.

His surviving family members are numerous and include: Three children: Kaela (14), Brady (12), and Asher Coughenour (3). His mother and father: Janice and Dean Coughenour. His siblings and their partners: Ricky Clinebell and Teresa Ballard; Becca Blackmon and Jeff Brehm; Mary Pat and Eugene Jones; Susan Coughenour Lowe; Kelly and Mike Harvey, and Brian and Colleen Watson.

His nieces and nephews: Missy Clinebell, Quito Clinebell, Gage Lowe, Starr Lowe, Hannah Blackmon, Luke Jones, Joshua Maddy, Savannah Lowe, Tucker Lowe, Grace Harvey, Noah Harvey, Anna Watson, and Nora Watson.

The family will welcome friends on Thursday, July 21st at Pivont Funeral Home in Hinton, WV, from 6-8pm. Funeral services will be at 1pm on Friday, July 22nd, also at Pivont Funeral Home. Robbie Merritt will be officiating. Burial will follow in Restwood Memorial Gardens in Hinton.

Pallbearers will be Matthew Rodes, Brian Bremer, Damon Mills, Corey Lambert, Quito Clinebell, Matthew Taylor, Mike Dempsey, and Eddie Bailey. Honorary pallbearers are Joe and Lin Goins and Joe Blankenship.