ANCOR was deeply saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Michael Christopher Tabakin, who was serving until his untimely death as Associate Director of Policy & Government Relations at PAR. ANCOR CEO Barbara Merrill made these comments after learning of Chris’ passing:
“We’ve lost one of our own, Chris Tabakin. Chris was a talented, thoughtful, creative, and truly dedicated member of our ANCOR community, and we are devastated to learn of his passing. He was a gentle, beautiful human being.
“His legacy will live on with those of us who were honored to have spent time with him, his passion for making the world a better place, not just at home but internationally, deeply inspirational. Chris, you left us way too early, but know that you left an indelible mark on our community.
Chris became a PAR member over 20 years ago, and joined its staff as Associate Director of Policy and Government Relations in 2021. In that time, he was deeply influential on behalf of people with disabilities, but his advocacy work began much earlier.
In 2012, PAR named Chris Advocate of the year. Two years later he developed a nonprofit organization, iHi International, which was dedicated to developing solutions that improve the lives of vulnerable people worldwide through meaningful connections, capacity building and aid.
Chris spent his life travelling the world to volunteer and advocate for better treatment, aid and resources for “vulnerable international people,” which he referred to as VIPs. Chris was a much-needed light in the world. While his loss was felt immediately, his impact will resonate for decades to come.
If you would like to honor Chris’ memory, his family has noted that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf.
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