Chris Stoski (’98 Arch.), a visual storyteller who shared his experiences with Washington State University students, designed scenes for a wide range of iconic movies and later for video games.
Stoski died February 10, 2026, at age 52. He is survived by his wife, Tonia (’98 Arch.), whom he met at WSU.
While studying architecture at WSU, he learned 3D animation along with friend and visual effects Oscar winner Eric Saindon (’96 Arch.). Stoski then went to work in architectural visualization at Industrial Light & Magic, George Lucas’s special effects house, where he was a matte painter—creating digital scenes that augment live-action footage. He worked on many top films, including the Star Wars prequels, Pirates of the Caribbean, Jurassic Park, the Percy Jackson series, The Hunger Games, Indiana Jones films, and many others.
He later transitioned to video game and augmented reality design. Stoski joined Niantic as a designer on the popular Pokémon GO! app and game in 2014.
In addition to his career, Stoski would come talk to classes whenever asked by WSU professor Gregory Turner-Rahman. “He was a consummate professional who cared deeply about his craft and sharing his knowledge,” Turner-Rahman says.
“The most important thing that he imparted was, at WSU, there are a lot of opportunities to try new things,” Turner-Rahman adds. “Students should enjoy the exploration because that will help them be adaptable designers in the future.”