Chris J. Hoy

Chris J Hoy was born August 26, 1951 in Wichita, Kansas, the oldest son of Jack Hoy and Beverly Hoy (Newkirk).  Chris passed away peacefully on March 20, 2023 in Overland Park, Kansas with his wife (Jan L. Beauchamp Brown) at his side.  He graduated from Andover High School and studied at Butler Community College.  After serving in the Air National Guard he was honorably discharged in 1976.  Chris apprenticed at Plumbers & Pipefitter Union Local 441 to become a pipefitter, he was a member of UA Association of Journeymen and Pipefitting Industry for more than fifty years.  He worked on many large projects during his career including one for NASA in Cape Canaveral.  He also belonged to Midian Shriners of Wichita, following in his father’s footsteps.  Having a pilot license and owning his own plane, as a Shriner, Chris flew children in need of medical treatment to St.Louis, Missouri.  He was also a survivor of the 1976 Wichita Holiday Inn sniper attack, since then he carried shrapnel in his neck which was a constant reminder of how lucky he was for the rest of his life.  Chris was an avid golfer, hunter, and lover of dogs - holding a special place in his heart for his English Setters.  He did a lot of remodeling and could fix about anything you threw at him. 

He traveled as a pipefitter to Florida, Texas, and throughout Kansas.  Chris owned Central Air Service, a commercial heating and air conditioning in the early 1980’s. Upon selling the business in Wichita, Kansas he moved to Kansas City where he met his wife Jan L. Beauchamp Brown at Flashbacks in Plaza III, and were married December 31,1990 in Tucson, Arizona.  Chris worked for Nabil Haddad as maintenance manager for Nabil’s restaurant chain, including Plaza III (KC) and Hoagie’s Seafood Restaurant (DC).  

In 2005, Chris purchased a building and opened CJ’s Hair Salon and Day Spa in Prairie Village where Chris managed and remodeled the shop.  When Jan retired from insurance, Chris coerced her into helping out in the shop.  In 2020 they sold the salon and purchased a second home in Phoenix, Arizona.  They spent time boating, cooking, smoking meat (and cigarettes) and barbecuing. Chris would research online for the latest greatest recipes and techniques for making the best ribs, among other dishes.  Cooking, building and pretending to be a hard ass kept him busy.

Chris’ last few years were spent gardening, RVing and cooking.  He was happiest in the ultimate man-cave he built with a Seven & Seven in one hand, a cigarette in the other, his cinema-sized TV tuned to a Western, with a bowl of popcorn on his lap.  Westerns and popcorn always put a smile on his face.   He is survived by his wife, Jan L. Hoy (Prairie Village, KS); younger sister, Candace Lyles (Estes Park, CO); sister-in-law, Sandra Britt (Phoenix,AZ); sister-in-law, Sharon Crisano (Bushkill, PA); uncle & aunt, Harold & Georgelyn Newkirk (Hurst, TX); nephew, Chad Lober (Phoenix, AZ); nephew, Anthony H. Crisano (Bushkill, PA); niece, Lisa Crisano (Brooklyn,NY), niece Emily Balduzzi (Estes Park, CO); niece Emily Lober (Flagstaff, AZ); and niece Michelle Lober Hurwitz (Phoenix, AZ).

Celebration of Life will be held Saturday April 29, 2023 from 2:00PM - 4:00PM at Conroy’s Public House, 5285 W 95th St. Overland Park, Kansas 66207.

In lieu of flowers please send any donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (stjude.org), or Wounded Warrior Project (woundedwarriorproject.org).