Chris H. Menzel

Chris H. Menzel

Chris H. Menzel entered the Kingdom of Heaven on January 5, 2022, at the age of 76. Born in Port Arthur, Texas, he was the son of Herbert and Gertrude Menzel and brother to Linda Menzel-Aranda. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Mr. Menzel, owner of Wastewater Consultants Inc., was a retired registered sanitarian of 18 years in Boerne, Texas. Prior to that, he worked for over 20 years for Gulf States Utilities (GSU) in Beaumont, Texas. He began his work in the system production lab and helped pioneer the new field of environmental management for the company. He was the first GSU employee dedicated solely to
environmental concerns.

A lifelong learner and avid outdoorsman, Chris married his love for nature and God’s creatures and became a certified Texas Master Naturalist. He volunteered at Guadalupe State Park and the Cibolo Nature Center giving nature tours to guests. 

He was a hunting and fishing enthusiast. He loved communing with nature, the sport of matching his skills against wild animals and valued the conservation role that responsible hunting and fishing provided. His hobbies and passions reflected his gift of merging his engineer’s precision
and an artist’s eye for creativity and beauty. He enjoyed pen and ink drawings of nature, crafting his own homemade wines, microphotography, and woodworking.

But his greatest gift was his love and care for his wife, Kathy. He was steadfast and gentle, brave in the face of heartbreaking diagnoses and ever faithful to the one he called the love of his life. He honored her memory and her profession by creating the “Kathy Menzel’s Memorial Make-A-Wish
Award” at Kinder Ranch Elementary School, where his grandchildren attended. This monetary award was given annually to a deserving teacher or staff member to make their “wish” come true in their classroom.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 44 years, Kathy L. Menzel, and both his parents and his sister. He is survived by his only child, Kristin Menzel Deitch and husband Jeff; his grandchildren, Madison, Cooper and Griffin; his brother-in-law, Dr. Paul Lounsberry, and wife Sandy; brother-in-law Lonnie
Miller; as well as numerous nieces and nephews who he adored. 

He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church of Boerne, Texas.

A Celebration of Life service will be held in his honor on Saturday, March 12, 2022, at 1 p.m. at The Gathering Hall at Herff Farm in Boerne, Texas. In lieu of flowers, please feel free to make a donation in memory of Chris H. Menzel to the American Heart Association and/or the Michael J. Fox Parkinson Foundation.