Christopher "Chris" R. Marto

Chris’ service will be livestreamed and viewable below beginning at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 25, 2026:

Christopher (Chris) Ronald Marto of Fargo, ND, passed away on July 11th, 2026, at the young age of 49 while under the care of HIA hospice and surrounded by family in the comfort of his home.

Chris was born on July 8th, 1977 in Fargo, ND to parents Ronald and Mary Marto. He was the second of three children and born with Down Syndrome. His parents were told by medical professionals that he may not survive, and if he did, he would not live a fulfilling life. Thankfully, his parents loved him regardless of his diagnosis and provided him with a loving home and every service possible to meet his needs starting at the young age of 3. He met so many wonderful and caring people along the way that were invested in helping him achieve independence in his daily life. He kept busy by being involved in Special Olympics, Camp a Day, Teen Night, and the Activities Center. He graduated from Fargo North High school in 1998. Following graduation, he worked at the 424 Vocational Training Center (VTC) for over 20 years and then transitioned to the VTC Day Program at West. Chris lived a life filled with smiles, happiness and adventure. He enjoyed riding his bike, camping, swimming, and fishing at Meadow Lake. His favorite restaurant was Denny’s and his favorite desert was a chocolate shake from the Dairy Queen. He loved his cats; Tabby, Tiger, Tiger Jr., Minnie Paws, and his current cat Phillip. He traveled with his parents to Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Michigan, Iowa, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Minnesota for vacations. He even went on a trip to Germany and Austria and saw where the iconic movie “Sound of Music” was filmed. Chris loved to watch movies. His collection of VHS tapes and DVDs would have put Blockbuster to shame. He loved Sesame Street, The Wizard of Oz, Pee Wee’s Playhouse, Mrs. Doubtfire, Grumpy and Grumpier Old Men, the Home Alone series and the Toy Story movies to name a few. Music also played a significant role in his life and he went to more than 20 country music concerts at the Fargo Dome. His favorite singers were Shania Twain, Kenny Chesney, and Toby Keith. His memory of movie scripts, songs and one-liners were like none other and he always delivered them like a stand-up comedian. On a serious note, Chris was a believer and he talked about God and Heaven. He woke up one morning a few days before his passing and said he saw Jesus and his dad in heaven. His faith was strong and he reminded us of this daily. Chris loved anything to do with Spiderman, the Incredible Hulk and his favorite superhero, Superman. He was often seen wearing his favorite characters on his clothes. Chris loved so many people and he was loved by so many people that it is impossible to name everyone. He had an extra special bond the last few years with Trevor (“honk honk beep beep”) and Shekinah (“your late”), both of whom made a significant impact in Chris’ life. Chris is our superhero and he is our real-life Superman. He will leave a void in many lives, but we know he is free and flying high along with his dad in God’s Paradise.

Chris is survived by his mom, Mary, his older sister Theresa (Cory) Mack and their children Alexander and Austin Mack of Perham, MN and his younger sister Kimberly (Tom) Tenderholt of Moorhead, MN.

Chris was preceded in death by his dad, Ronald Marto.

Chris’ life will be celebrated at Boulger Funeral Home Chapel, Fargo, ND on July 25th, 2026. Visitation will be from 9am-10am with the service
following at 10am with Pastor Rollie Johnson officiating. Burial will take place at a later date. We ask you to dress casual and wear your favorite superhero shirts and/or accessories in honor of Chris.