‘Love you, forever’: Christian Doll remembered as kind, full of energy and potential

His father, Mike Doll, said Christian rode shotgun many times as they went golfing, checked out abandoned buildings and went to Calgary Flames games.

Mike, the program director of Wild 94.5 and MY96, said Christian was a larger-than-life bright spot for so many: “Big personality, big smile, big fun.”

“I honestly don’t know what my life will look like without him,” Mike added.

Christian would get excited over video games with his friends, was dedicated to working out at the gym and gave hugs freely to the people he loved most, his parents said.

Christian’s surviving sister, Mikka, said her brother was a “built-in, lifelong best friend.”

“No matter what stage of life you were in, I had a front row seat,” she said.

Mikka promised Christian she will save him a seat at her college graduation and her wedding. She’ll also watch Flames games with their father.

“I promise we will be okay and have each other,” Mikka said.

“I promise I will forever miss you more than words can explain.”

To that, and the many tributes and recollections of Christian, the arena thundered as those gathered in his memory tapped the concrete with hockey sticks, a sport he loved dearly.

Christian’s Grade 9 language arts teacher at Notre Dame Academy, Carly Desjarlais, described Christian as a “main character” that brought lightness and laughter to her class.

“He was absolutely full of life and energy, and it was contagious,” Desjarlais told those gathered for the celebration of life.

Desjarlais said Christian embodied qualities many of his teachers would want in their own children, including “kindness, confidence, humility and grace towards others.”

Mike and Josie Doll revealed the creation of the Christian Doll Memorial Award, designed as a reflection of Christian, who was a strong defenceman and a 90s student.

The annual award will be presented to a Grade 9 student at Notre Dame that excels in both hockey and academia, the Dolls said.

Ryan Pinter, who was Christian’s hockey coach, described Christian as a leader and good teammate during his time on the U15 Medicine Hat Hounds.

“Through his hard work, he was rewarded with an ‘A’ on his jersey,” Pinter said.

He asked all those gathered at the celebration of life who were teammates of Christian at any point to stand and tap hockey sticks in his honour.

The stage that Christian’s friends and family took to speak to his life was adorned with some of the things that made up who he was.

There were hockey jerseys from his last year on the Hounds, golf clubs from his days on the course, a fishing rod, a snowboard and a worn hockey net his father bought him when he was four but that Christian didn’t use until he was eight years old.

Friends and family of Christian Doll spoke from a stage that featured many items from his life. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

Every hockey stick that Christian used in a game was also on-stage, a collection he was planning to add to.

As their commemoration of Christian came to a close, his father Mike said he was “heartbroken and angry that he was senselessly taken from us.”

But, his parents thanked Christian’s friends who were there for him when he was injured in an accident in July and sent into a coma.

They concluded by speaking directly to Christian.

“We love you, forever,” Josie said.

Mike added: “Love you, bud.”

by CHAT News Staff

‘Love you, forever’: Christian Doll remembered as kind, full of energy and potential

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