Christopher E. Hornbarger ’90

Chris died March 21, 2024.

He pursued many passions throughout his life, including playing guitar, drawing, reading, and writing. Chris attended Princeton on an Army ROTC scholarship. After graduation, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant and trained as a Cobra attack helicopter pilot. Later, he completed a mid-career fellowship to earn a master’s in public administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Chris served 20 years in the Army, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 2010. He was at work in the Pentagon on 9/11. His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Presidential Service Badge, and the Combat Action Badge. After the military, Chris served as a school administrator, then transitioned to the federal civil service with the Department of Veterans Affairs at the San Francisco VA Health Care System.

He met his wife, Elizabeth, during his assignment at Fort Drum, N.Y. Chris and Elizabeth formed a family with three children over the years, whom he loved dearly.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the Disabled American Veterans Association, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, Ohio 45250-0301.