Chris Walters killed in Connecticut plant explosion; wife says he died doing what he loved

FLORISSANT (KSDK) -- A Florissant family is mourning the death of a father of three, who died Sunday following an electric generating plant explosion in Connecticut.

Chris Walters, a construction safety manager, was working in Connecticut because there were no jobs available locally. His widow, Fran, says her husband, loved, working in construction. The fatal accident happened when workers were purging gas lines in the plant. The entire facility is considered a total loss.

"He did what he loved. He loved working in safety. He loved working with the Boy Scouts," she said. "And he died doing what he loved."

He had taken the job two months ago and realized it was only temporary. He told Fran that he thought he would be laid off in a month, but was willing to have the job short term, since he had been unemployed for a while, and the couple needed the money.

Chris Walters, 48, was active in Scouting at his Catholic parish and an avid ham radio operator. The couple had been married 18 years and traveled the country following construction jobs. They settled down recently in order to raise a family.

Chris' most famous job, according to Fran, was working as safety manager on the construction of Busch Stadium. His alma mater, Central Missouri State University, put his face on the cover of the alumni magazine, writing an article about the project.

"His family can take pride every time they come to a game and look at the ballpark and know he did a great job and he'll be missed for a long time to come," said Ron Watermon, a team spokesman.

Fran said the family was invited to the ballpark during the construction to see the progress, a highlight for the children.

Fran got word of the explosion Sunday, when her husband's coworker called. She tried to reach Chris by cell phone most of the day. Later in the day, a police officer confirmed Chris had died. Double confirmation came when his cell phone was recovered, with all of her unanswered calls listed.

Funeral arrangements for Chris Walters are not final.

Meanwhile, the New York Times said the project has had a clean safety record and the Associated Press has reported the Connecticut governor is demanding a full investigation.

A memorial fund has been set up the family at US Bank.  Donation information is below:

Chris Walters Memorial Fund
c/o US Bank
2100 N Highway 67
Florissant, MO 63033 OR drop off at any US Bank Branch