Christoph Zeyen

Christoph Zeyen, age 65, passed away at home in North Chatham, MA, on November 23, 2023, over 8 years after being diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer. He was born on September 17, 1958 in Kiel, Germany, the eldest of four children of Hildegund and Friedrich-Otto Zeyen. The family home was filled with music from his mother’s side and engineering from his father’s side, and Christoph loved to joke that he inherited talent in neither area. He actually enjoyed playing cello in the local youth orchestra, and carried a love for music with him throughout life. Living a block away from the Kiel Fjord, he took a ferry to school, and loved to be near the water. The closest he got to engineering was sailing, which he did whenever he had the chance. After military service, he chose to study law, completing his studies after a break to help rescue and restore the coal-powered icebreaker “Stettin,” which still operates in Kiel.

Christoph spent time interning and studying in Dublin and London, and those experiences inspired him to complete an internship at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium. It was in Brussels that he met and married the former Ellen L. Marx in 1995 while both were working as attorneys. They raised their family in Belgium, and enjoyed living for over 20 years in that small, quirky country with a relaxed attitude, great food, and a welcoming environment for international families.

Christoph especially loved sharing his knowledge of history with his sons, and the family enjoyed visiting historical sites across Europe. He also travelled extensively worldwide for his job as a corporate attorney, but always looked forward to coming home. Family was everything to him. He was a devoted husband and father, and he was immensely proud of his sons and their kind natures, dry humor, and adventurous spirits. Many will remember him for his remarkable ability to power through surgeries and chemo with wit and good humor, year after year. He treasured those “bonus” years after his diagnosis spent with family and dear friends in his adopted home of Chatham and on the beaches of Sanibel Island.

He leaves behind his wife Ellen of North Chatham and his sons Oscar of Washington DC and Lucas of Brooklyn NY. He leaves siblings Constanze (Holger), Justus, and Benedikt (Ekaterina) and their children, and aunt and uncle Ingeborg and Jürgen Knudsen, all of Germany (and Austria), and his Marx in-laws, Sheila of North Chatham, Marybeth (Eric) of Guilford CT, Maura of North Chatham, and Randy of Beverly MA.

Visiting hours will be 4-6 pm on Friday, December 1, 2023 at Nickerson Funeral Home, 87 Crowell Road, Chatham. All are also welcome to a Celebration of Life at 11 am on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at the First Congregational Church of Chatham, 650 Main Street, Chatham, with a reception to follow in the church hall. Burial will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Christoph’s memory to Cape Abilities at https://capeabilities.org/donate/ or to Dana Farber Cancer Institute. For online condolences, please visit www.nickersonfunerals.com