Nov. 1, 1960—Oct. 15, 2009

A memorial service for Christopher Drew Witmer of Tokyo, Japan, an expert translator and a former Alden resident, will be held at 2 p. m. Friday in Millgrove Bible Church, 11517 Genesee St., Alden. He died Oct. 15 when a vehicle struck him as he bicycled to work in Tokyo.

He attended Calisanctius School in Buffalo, was a graduate of Alden High School and studied at Cornell University, St. John’s University, the University of Toledo and the University at Buffalo, where he studied linguistics and Japanese.

A resident of Tokyo since 1980, he used his expertise in Japanese and English for various translation projects and traveled the world as personal interpreter and assistant to the president of the Erina Co., a health and beauty products company.

Surviving are his wife of 23 years, Hiroko; seven daughters, Kristen, Stephanie, Cumi, Irene, Sophia, Alethea and Charissa; his mother, Marilyn B.; two brothers, John III and Michael; and three sisters, Pamela Mason, Jennifer Norris and Danielle Garas.