2000s

Christopher Adam Blackman ’00

Christopher Adam Blackman ’00, an attorney, was born on July 21, 1978, in Stamford, Conn. The son of John N., a business executive, and Kathleen Cross Blackman, he grew up in Darien, Conn., the eldest of three children. At Darien High School he excelled academically and played on the football team before heading to Hamilton where he majored in history and once again took to the gridiron.

Chris Blackman attended Quinnipiac University School of Law, graduating in 2003. He was a member of the New York and Connecticut bar associations and was twice published in the New York Law Journal. He moved in 2003 to New York City, a place said to complement his animated spirit and boundless energy. His most recent job was with Gordon & Silber, where he was a member of the general liability team. “He was known as a fine lawyer, who notwithstanding a gentle soul, zealously represented his clients in a professional manner while maintaining the utmost integrity and perseverance,” the firm wrote in a tribute to him.

On a summer weekend in Newport, R.I., Chris Blackman met Julia Burgio, the woman he would marry on June 16, 2012. The couple loved to travel; Newport, R.I., Nantucket, Mass., and Vail, Colo., were among their favorite destinations. Chris Blackman, who had a lust for life, enjoyed spending his summers as captain of his family’s boat. He was an avid golfer and skier, ran in Central Park and trained for a number of half-marathons, successfully taking on the New York Marathon in 2011. And he was a wine aficionado and collector, especially of big California reds.

Friends and family appreciated his quick wit, intelligence, charm, soulful laugh and inviting smile. Christopher A. Blackman died on Aug. 1, 2015, at home, surrounded by family, following a long battle with cancer. Survivors include his wife, parents and two sisters.