Longtime leader, volunteer at Fort Worth church killed in major I-35W traffic crash
A longtime volunteer and leader at First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth was one of the six people killed Thursday morning in the major wreck on Interstate 35W involving more than 130 vehicles.
Christopher Ray Vardy, 49, of Boyd, was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash, according to the Tarrant County medical examiner’s website on Friday.
“It’s a tragic loss for the church,” said senior pastor Tim Bruster in a telephone interview with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Friday. “He’s been very active in the church for 22 years.”
Vardy’s wife is Tamara Vardy, the superintendent of the Boyd school district.
Boyd school officials released this statement Friday afternoon: “Dr. Tamara Vardy and her family greatly appreciate the outpouring of love and support you are giving them during this difficult time.
Mr. Vardy loves his family very much and is so proud of his wife and two boys. Most recently he became a part of the Boyd ISD family. You would find him at Cross Country meets riding the mule, attending One Act Play performances, and cheering from the sidelines and stands for football, basketball, and baseball.”
The Vardy family said In lieu of flowers, the family was requesting memorial gifts be made to First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth; designate Youth Ministry Fund, 800 West 5th Street, Fort Worth, TX 76102.
As the commute to work began just after 6 a.m. Thursday, ice on a half-mile section of I-35W thrust together sedans and pickup trucks and 18-wheelers, authorities said.
At least 133 vehicles were jumbled in the dark. Vardy was among six people killed, and 65 other people were injured.
Vardy had served on the church’s youth council and other leadership roles for years.
“He was so involved in mission trips as a worker and a sponsor,” Bruster said. “He never missed an opportunity to help.”
Bruster said that Vardy was probably known by and worked with hundreds of people in the church.
Vardy worked as a program manager at InterConnect Wiring, a Fort Worth-based company that supplies military aerospace electrical products, according to a LinkedIn profile in his name.
“He was a friend to many people,” the senior pastor said. “He’s going to be missed.”
This story was originally published February 12, 2021 at 11:22 AM.
