A bodybuilder, doorman and personal train who was for many a “face of Newcastle” on a night out died suddenly earlier this month.
“Gentle giant” Chris Wall, 58, died on May 9. Since then tributes have highlighted how huge a miss the man – who was known around the North East as “Superman” – will be. Chris’ fiancée Lauren Mooney, who had been set to marry him next year, shared how devastating this had been.
She said he had been “absolutely brilliant”. Chris’s close friend Lee Ternent has set up a crowdfunding page in order to help Chris’ family give him the funeral he deserves. Lauren said: “It’s horrendous but we are going to give him the best send-off possible.”
Lauren told ChronicleLive how Chris’s dedicated nature and support for others marked him out. She said: “I met him at the gym – I said to him I wanted to compete. He had been working as a PT having finished competing professionally himself. It was a way for him to stay in the fitness world.
“He was an incredibly fit man and when I met him I said ‘I want to compete can you help?’ And he did.”
She explained how Chris has been an incredible mentor to many. She said: “He had developed a love for cycling. He had moved away from body-building a little, he had recognised the strain it puts on your body. He became so health conscious. He was the most dedicated man you’d ever encounter.
“In the gym he was able to pass on so much knowledge to others. He was incredibly knowledgeable and he became a mentor to many. He used to come in a say about work sometimes that it was more of a counselling session! Lots of people have referred to his having been a mentor to them.”
Away from the world of professional bodybuilding, Chris was also a well-loved face on Newcastle’s nightlife scene – having long been head doorman at popular bar Cosy Joe’s. Lauren said: “He was head doorman at Cosy Joe’s for a long, long time.
“He was never aggressive, always able to keep people safe. I think for many people he became one of the faces of Newcastle. Almost every single person who’ll have been out on a night in Newcastle will have known him. He will be a big miss across Newcastle.”
But Lauren also said it was important to remember a different side to Chris – who also loved animals and walks in the countryside. The couple’s dog Lola was a big part of his life, she said. Lauren added: “He loved spending time outdoors, going on walks. Our favourite place was the Lakes – we had just come back when he passed away.
“He loved animals all his life. Our dog, but even hedgehogs. He’d pick one up and help it across the road.”
Meanwhile, in a statement posted online, the team at Cosy Joe’s also paid tribute. They wrote: “We are still in shock and are struggling to find the words to describe the immense impact that Chris has had over the years on us all.
“Chris has been with us since the beginning in 2010, prior to that he worked with us for 8 years at Buffalo Joes; others will know him from working in the industry over the past 40 years. Chris will be hugely missed by all of us at CosyJoes, past and present.
“Our thoughts are with his family and those closest to him, they are also with everyone who will feel the loss of the colossal presence, that was Chris Wall.”
Chris leaves fiancée Lauren and family including daughter Jenna. To support the crowdfunding page, click here.
Source – Chronicle Live