Christopher Prinn
We are deeply saddened by the loss of our highly esteemed friend and colleague.
chris prinn | 1970-2021
co-founder, Creative Director
We’ve all benefited from Chris’ quick-witted sense of humor and generous smile that he frequently shared with those around him. We miss him terribly.
On January 26, 2021, we lost our true friend and colleague, Chris. His sudden departure shocked our tight-knit family to its core and has left a hole that’s hard to fill. He is sorely missed by all of us who worked with him over the years.
Chris was one of the founding members of the company, taking up the mantle of Creative Director from the start, and guiding our creative services team for more than two decades. Never the loudest voice in the room, Chris nevertheless left an indelible mark in our company’s history. From leading the way in our award-winning design efforts, to picking out the decor for our latest remodel, wherever you look, there are Chris’ trademark fingerprints, and we are forever grateful for that.
We often joked about the fact that Chris was notoriously difficult to pin down when asked to estimate a project, and sometimes grumbled about the time he was given. Yet time and time again Chris delivered champagne on a beer budget to the surprise of his colleagues, and delight of our clients. As much as he might complain, he relished a challenge and would never settle for just “good enough.” To have him on the team was always a comfort and hallmark of success.
As a naturally creative person, Chris showed a genuine interest in other people’s creative endeavors. From practical home improvements to art projects, he would lend a willing ear and offer advice in a non-judgmental way. There are many of us who welcomed the chance to bounce ideas off Chris before embarking on a new project. He was interested in the progress of his peers, and keen to share the ups and downs of his own efforts. While he always sold himself short, the results of his own projects never failed to impress!
Most of us have not experienced a time at Portland Webworks without Chris. We relied on the fact that his warm and comforting presence was ever ready with a wry joke to defuse a tense situation, or provide the assurance that we could and would meet a deadline. Those of us left behind can only hope to wrap his memory into all that we do: to under promise and over deliver, to let our actions speak for us, and to never take ourselves too seriously!
