Christopher Bridges Dillehay's Obituary
Christopher Bridges Dillehay, age 55, of Atlanta passed away May 11, 2019 of natural causes. Christopher was born in Nashville, Tennessee to James Bridges Dillehay and Carol Bucy. After high school, he moved to the metro-Atlanta area and attended North Dekalb Community College and the Southern Center for the Arts, from which he received a liberal arts education and a certificate in Fine Arts and Photographic Studies, respectively.
Christopher owned an independent design practice, Dillehay & Company, through which he provided full service architecture and interiors. His clients included Santa Fe University of Art and Design, the Adler School, Kendall College, and many others. Prior, he worked as a professional photographer. He also brought his design talents to retail for DFS (Hawai’i), Marshall Field’s (Chicago), and most recently, Macy’s (Chicago, Atlanta), at which his editorial voice led to merchandising prototypes used nationwide. He brought his vision to civic causes as well. For example, he volunteered for a Chicago not-for-profit organization to conceive, design, stock, and open a gift shop that served as an employment setting for developmentally-disabled adults, which he named, appropriately, Gumption.
Christopher’s ability to conceptualize, stylize, and create was evident not only in his professional career, but also in his personal passions of stained glass, woodworking, architecture, interior design, photography, dance, and fashion. He is well remembered for the many music and dance events he designed with love for his friends. He began practicing the art of stained glass making in 2000, and created many contemporary and fused glass pieces based on his original designs.
He is survived by his father Bridges, his siblings Greg and Karen, and a multitude of family members and close friends. Gene, Tim, and Ray were fortunate to have made homes and lives with him. Chris was an artist whose keen eye for color and design was surpassed only by the wit, authenticity, leadership, and passion he brought to his relationships with family, friends, and his chosen family. He will forever be remembered for his boundless talent to foster joy, surprise, and insights through his art and in his connections with others.
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