Chris Pancratz was the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Space Society

National Space Society

The National Space Society is an international nonprofit 501, educational, and scientific organization specializing in space advocacy...

. He died August 2, 2003, of cancer.

Pancratz also operated a health care

Health care

Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...

 industry consulting

Consultant

A consultant is a professional who provides professional or expert advice in a particular area such as management, accountancy, the environment, entertainment, technology, law , human resources, marketing, emergency management, food production, medicine, finance, life management, economics, public...

 business in the Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia

Northern Virginia consists of several counties and independent cities in the Commonwealth of Virginia, in a widespread region generally radiating southerly and westward from Washington, D.C...

 area called PAN Development Associates (PANDA), from the late 90s until shortly before his death, in which he was CEO and principal consultant.

Pancratz was active in community service, and served on the Board of Trustees of the Jaycees.

"The loss of Chris Pancratz robs the NSS of a valuable resource-and individual who combined the qualities of understanding and enthusiastically supporting the exploration of space, plus personal energy and organizational drive."
– Hugh Downs

Hugh Downs

Hugh Malcolm Downs is a long time American broadcaster, television host, news anchor, TV producer, author, game show host, and music composer; and is perhaps best known for his role as co-host the NBC News program Today from 1962 to 1971, host of the Concentration game show from 1958 to 1969, and...

, Chairman of the NSS Board of Governors