In Memoriam

Marine Lance Cpl. Christopher M. Poston, 20, a former Valley resident who died Monday in Iraq, was remembered Wednesday as a loving young man who touched many lives.

"He was a beautiful spirit," said his mother, Tracey Walker of Oceanside, Calif. "Everyone who knew him said he had an old soul."

His fiance, Lisa Campos, 20, of Chandler, who was to marry Poston next June, said he was family-oriented and romantic.

"He was a very sensitive person, very caring," she said. "He cared about my feelings."

Poston was killed in Hit, Iraq, in a vehicle accident not related to hostile action.

Poston moved with his family from California to Ahwatukee in 2001 and attended Mountain Pointe High School in Phoenix. He played on the defensive line on the football team, wearing No. 71.

In 2002, his family moved to Glendale, near Luke Air Force Base, and lived there until September 2004, moving back to California. After graduating from Mountain Pointe in 2003, Poston attended Mesa Community College for a time before enlisting in the Marine Corps.

He loved to sing, Campos said, and favored slow, romantic songs, sometimes making up lyrics just for her. On her last birthday, he sang for her in front of a group of friends and family, then gave her a 6-foot teddy bear.

Poston's mother said he liked playing video games, watching sports and listening to a variety of music, not only contemporary songs, but also jazz, '80s music and blues artists like B.B.King.

Campos said Poston considered a career in the Marine Corps - his stepfather, Jason Walker, is a Marine staff sergeant - but decided he would rather pursue a career as an FBI agent so that he wouldn't be separated from her as much.

Services for Poston are scheduled for Oct. 28 at Camp Pendleton, Calif., his home base in the Marines. In addition to his mother, stepfather and fiancée, he is survived by brothers Brandon Porter, 17, and Jason Walker Jr., 22 months, and a sister, Jasmine Walker, 3.