Wierd, Read to End

February 28, 2008
Ropes Associate Chris Place, 35, Passes Away
A Palo Alto Ropes & Gray associate whom friends and loved ones described as spirited and selfless has died following a longstanding battle with melanoma.
Chris Place was diagnosed with melanoma more than a decade ago. The disease made a comeback two years ago and he had been fighting it until he died on Feb. 21. He was 35
“It came back with a vengeance,” said his wife, Lee Ann Place. “… And we just couldn’t fight it anymore.”
Mark Rowland, the managing partner of the Palo Alto office, had worked closely with Chris Place, who spent two summers with the firm before becoming a full-time associate. Place, who worked on intellectual property litigation, enticed coworkers to stop into his office by stocking homemade cookies and puzzle games, Rowland said.
“To this day, there are some of them I have no idea how to do,” Rowland said.
Place was as thoughtful with his family as he was at work, Lee Ann said. Among her most vivid memories are those leading up to their marriage.
Chris took Lee Ann to Mount Rainier, in his home state of Washington, to propose to her. The two went on a hike and Chris led her to a picnic, which had been set up by his brother in advance. After some difficulty finding the spot — the lime green-and-white picnic sheet was hard to find in the snow — the two sat down.
“His brother came out from behind a rock in a tuxedo and snow shoes and came to serve us Dom Perignon,” she said. He proposed there and then took Lee Ann down to the lodge where they would stay and gave her a phone card, anticipating that she would want to call her family.
“He had just thought of everything,” she said.
Place is survived by Lee Ann; daughter Katie, 5; son Zachary, 3; parents Dr. John and Mary Place of Yakima, Wash.; brother Matthew of Tacoma; brother Michael of Stevens Creek, Wash.; and many other members of his extended family in Washington and California.
A celebration will be held on Saturday, March 8. between noon and 4 p.m. at the Place home at 752 Silver Pine Court, Sunnyvale, CA 94086. Another service will be held on Saturday, April 19, from noon to 4 p.m. at 5710 Marilane, Yakima, WA 98908.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Melanoma Research Foundation.
— Niraj Chokshi
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