Christopher Dlugokecki, of Boynton Beach FL, lost his year-long battle with cancer and passed away on February 29, 2024 at the age of 55.  He faced the battle with courage and never quit trying to survive.  He is survived by his wife, Maria, and their two sons, Christopher and Michael, his mother, Florence, and his sister, Victoria.

Chris was born on Long Island, NY, to Charles, a New York City police officer and Florence, an office manager and bookkeeper in Long Island City.  His father coached his little league baseball teams and worked the stopwatch at his swim meets.  His mother, sensing his love of music at an early age, started him with piano lessons at 5 years old.  He and his older sister Vicky were inseparable as kids.  Chris went to Sewanhaka High School, where he was voted Most Musical and marched down 5th Avenue playing the drums during the Columbus Day Parade.  He graduated from Webb Institute of Naval Architecture in 1992, and at the time, Chris and his sister Vicky were the first brother and sister to graduate from Webb.  He started on his career in the maritime industry, which brought him from New York to Florida to San Diego and back to Florida again.  He held various technical, marketing and management positions at Gibbs and Cox, R.K. Johns and Associates, V-Ships, Lloyds Register, RINA, NASSCO, CMI Ship Management and finally Sun Stone Ships, where he was the Executive Vice President of Operations.

Chris met his wife Maria in Florida, and they had two sons, Christopher, now 18 years old and Michael, now 12 years old.  Like his dad with him, Chris coached his sons' little league teams, cheered them on at their swim meets, and went to all their musical recitals.  His son Christopher is currently attending Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, majoring in business, and his son Micheal, even at this young age, knows that he wants to follow in his father and aunt's footsteps and build a career in the marine field.

Chris is remembered for always having a big smile on his face, his sense of humor and never passing by a piano and not sitting down to play a tune or two.  He will be missed dearly by his family, friends and colleagues.