Chris Eitzmann (1977 - 2021)

In 1999, Chris secured a first-team football selection to both the All-Ivy League Team and the Successful Farming magazine All-American Team, a biographical tidbit that kind of encapsulates the two worlds he straddled once he decided to leave the familiarity of his home, Hardy, Nebraska (population 159), for a largely unknown quantity in Harvard University.  No matter how many ways he rose up to find success in football, academics, business, and family, Eitz never abandoned the humor and humility of his country roots and that made him a uniquely enjoyable person to know and be around.

Chris was the oldest of three brothers (Nate, Barry, and Cody) and a sister (Tracy), likely contributing to his natural proclivity for leadership, ultimately leading to securing the honor of Captain for Harvard’s football team during the ’99-2000 season.  His accomplishments during his college tenure led to playing professionally for several years with the New England Patriots, the Cleveland Browns, and the Green Bay Packers.  Upon the end of his football playing days, Chris gravitated toward investment roles for various firms, finding great success and building a family with his high-school sweetheart, Mikaela, having three wonderful sons (Coen, Asher, and Seth) and a beautiful daughter (Lila). 

Those of us who were lucky enough to call Eitz a close, lifelong friend, loved how a guy with so many accolades remained down to Earth and unpretentious.  He was an easy guy to like and made people comfortable with his disarming personality that never wavered from being truly genuine.  He was funny and could dish out jokes as good as he got them.  While he will be sorely missed, he leaves behind a legacy most people could only dream of.