It is always a tragedy when a...

It is always a tragedy when a life is cut short. When it is a life

that had already accomplished so much that the future seemed

limitless, the tragedy becomes that much more acute.

And so it was when the life of Chris Premer came to an

unbelievable end on Oct. 1. He was just shy of his 31st birthday when

the twin-engine plane he was in crashed after takeoff from the

Ontario Airport.

Premer was best known to Newport-Mesa as the main spokesman for

the Toshiba Senior Classic, firmly now one of the community’s biggest

fund-raisers. But his success in helping the tournament grow was but

a small part of the zest and enthusiasm Premer brought to his life.

His years working for Hoag cemented his status among many of

Newport-Mesa’s elite.

For the past few years, he’d been working on his own, but still

maintained ties to Hoag and to the tournament.

“He loved history, he was brilliant with a clarity and vision,”

Debra Legan, Hoag’s vice president of marketing, said during a

memorial service at Pelican Hill Golf Club. “He was so charismatic, a

straight-shooter. He could talk to anyone about any topic. He will

always be in my heart. He leaves a huge void. The communications team

will not the same. He is irreplaceable.”