Chris grew up in Aurora, Illinois, and graduated from West Aurora High School in 2009. He was active in the performing arts, singing in the a cappella choir and West High STUDy Hall, a male a cappella group. He also performed with the marching band, acted in theater productions, and served as co-captain and first board of the chess team. He went on to study vocal music education at Valparaiso University in Indiana. There, he joined the professional music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and toured with the university’s premier vocal ensemble, the Chorale. In his free time, he composed and arranged music for a cappella groups.

Chris enlisted in the Indiana Army National Guard and served as a 12B combat engineer with the 713th Engineering Company (Sapper), based at the Valparaiso Armory. In 2011, the 713th was activated in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in Kandahar, Afghanistan. As an ROTC cadet, he was not expected to deploy; however, he persuaded his command to allow him to join the deployment on November 11, 2011. On January 6, 2012, Chris was killed in Kandahar Province when his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device.

His legacy lives on through his family, friends, and comrades, as well as the Chris Patterson Memorial Foundation.