Charissa:

Scott and I are in the kitchen remembering when you were here with Chip, Gail and Jeff.  Scott, Bradley and I were laughing how he held you upside down to get my train pass that you accidently threw away.  Gail and Jeff wrote about in in Januayr 2014 but the story still lives in our memory of the fun time we had and what a special person he was! Hope you are well and know you are always welcome in Scarsdale NY!

All our love,

Sue and Scott    

This one is a short one.  We embark on one of many business trips, this one to Phoenix, AZ.  Not knowing where to stay, not wanting to be in a bad part of town but also not wanting to spend a fortune on a place to sleep we decide on a place near the airport.  We chose the Vagabond Inn.  It looked clean and seem to have business people there (note this was in the day-time).  Well we spent the day doing meetings, had dinner and went back to the Inn. On or way to our room we noticed a few people at the other end of the second floor cat-walk.  We looked at each other and smiled, our look to each other said 'no it couldnt be'.  In the room a little while later after settling down watching TV and having a Rum & Diet Coke....There was a knock on the door.  Chip opened the door was aone of the women that we had seen earlier.  And yes our earlier look and unspoken thoughts to each other was confirmed.  Chip graciously and wittily declined the womans offer, thanked her and closed the door.  We both laughed and had another Rum and Diet Coke.....  

I'm not afraid to say it took a few drinks to get this out. The words seem to escape me every time i try.
As a child Uncle Chip and Aunt Charissa's house was a release. It was a vacation we took three to five times a week, where I had the freedom to swim and feed fish, and be in a place where a 6th grade opinion was always valued.
As i grew i drew myself away from others. I felt that i knew what was best for me and no one could tell me otherwise. This introversion ultimately led to my own suffering.
I got myself together too late, but he saw me find direction.
He saw my wedding.
He saw my enlistment.
I wanted him to see me become a soldier.
I wanted him to see the birth of my son.

My son will be humble.
My son will be welcoming.
My son will be charismatic and sport the witt of a thousand men.
My son will know the man for which he is named. 

Occasionally, in situations involving extraordinary individuals, we are left with memories of those whom have provided insight to ourselves, ultimately changing us for the better. And while we may not welcome seminal critique at the time, the boldness of applicable commentary in hindsight proves something of reverence.[1] Such was exemplified when we hosted a gathering at our home in Santa Clara some two to three years back.

It was an afternoon event for which guests began arriving shortly after noon.[2] Chip and Charissa were the first to show for the event while I was still busy working a project installing a hot tub in the back yard. Following a warm greeting, Chip sat down with a beer (a “Fat Tire” I believe it was) and began to enquire as to my current activity within the project. I explained I was trying to create a slightly subterranean level base for our ‘tub’ by removing a substantial amount of dirt and rock. The surface was dry and very difficult with which to work. Chip proffered a suggestion that I might wet the surface first, that I might find it easier.

Picture this: It is hot and I am sweating and out of breath working a pickax, while this party guest (i.e. “punk-ass bitch”) is going to first stretch out on my lounger, with a beer (that I furnished), then tell me (in rather glib fashion) how to do my job.[3] One could have received such advice constructively.[4] Well, being the polite gentleman I fancy myself to be,[5] I calmly explained to Chip that given the tub would be quite heavy and would need to be very nearly level, the soil would best be managed in its natural state, thereby limiting change post-prep. To this Chip indicated (with a tone of sarcasm) he did know what he was talking about, that that was in fact what he did for a living. Frankly, I was not going to stand for this. Instead, I took the logical and mature approach – I went inside the house to sit in my room and pout.

While the foregoing meant further processing the ‘err’ in my ways, I nonetheless did or continue to do so in time. We all need someone like Chip Moore to better reflect upon actions within our own lives.[6] Our memories of Chip, experienced as mere moments in time, provide everlasting value. We miss you Chip and will always love you. Rest in peace, my friend.

John Martsolf 3/16/14

[1] Note to Vida: This should only be used ever so sparingly.

[2] As a caveat before we get too deep in the details, please recognize dates and times are not quite as “crisp” today as compared to the past (or maybe now I am simply guided by less conviction); still, the general events and overall impact are accurate (despite any propensity I may have to embellish).

[3] Sidebar time: Having had plenty of experience with projects, including twice acting as General Contractor for our home with responsibility for design, permitting, sourcing, and sub-contracts, I in fact knew what I was doing.

[4] . . . or not.

[5] Unfortunately, this notion remains largely fantasy.

[6] I still have to deal with Vida.

Chip is like the Swiss Army knife of friends.  There was nothing he could not, and would not do for family and friends.  I used to think -- does he know how to say NO? How and why is he that nice?  Chip and Charissa did a diving catch for us when my 2nd son was about to be born.  We didn't have family nearby at that time, and we needed someone to take care of PAtrick while we were at the hospital.  CNC agreed to take care of their godson, take him to school and keep him for a couple of days.  As absolutely thrilled and excited as Patrick was to be home with us and see his new brother-- one of his first stories and comments was -- "UNCLE CHIP TAUGHT ME HOW TO FLOSS!!! i know how to do it now. How come you didn't teach me before this time Mommy?" Well clearly, Uncle Chip is just better than us at everything.....

i met chip at my first REAL job in California. he was my favorite engineer at the firm, and i hung out in his office at the corner more and more, and he was so gracious about "shooting the S!#$!" with the THEN tiny girl with the accent.  long story short he became a good friend and i asked him to be godfather to my first child - PATRICK. i'm one of the unlucky ones that didn't gain a lot of weight during my pregnancy....i gained a HELLA LOT of weight. i was due in august, there was a heat wave, i was carrying an extra 95 lbs (yes, that's a 9 followed by a 5) on me, my finger nails were turning a slight shade of blue because blood was getting trapped in my veins. charissa had to physically shove my up their new red tahoe, and she's lucky i didn't fall backward or i would have flattened her tiny dinky self.  chip felt so bad for me that he for some reason thought he would help me with household chores when they came to visit.  one such visit, i was folding laundry, and some of the clothes that needed folding were my MATERNITY clothes.  chip held up my denim overalls, turned it around a few times and then said -- "wow V....i didn't think they made fabric THIS big".....to which i gave my Suzanne Sugarbaker/Delta Burke (Designing Women) reply -- "i buy my fabric from the tent and awning store"

We met Chip and Charissa 10 years ago at a winery event.  I have thought about what I could share about times with Chip during a lot of sleepless nights.  Anytime with Chip was filled with lots of love, laughter, and alcohol.  So to pick one time has been tough however, here goes.

We all went to New York for a long weekend and stayed with my cousins.  Since they commute to the city daily they gave us their passes on the weekend for free trips.  Chip had one in his pocket, as well as the subway tickets we had been buying during our stay.  We were downtown in the subway waiting for a connection, when he decided to clean out the ticket stubs from his pocket and throw them away.  No sooner than he did it, he realized the commuter ticket was among them.  He looked in the locked trash can and saw it sitting on top but couldn't reach it.  Not being shy, but very creative he picked up Charissa, held her upside down and lowered her into the trash to get it.  Needless to say, this attracted a good deal of attention by other travellers.  I was holding Charissa's leather jacket and was obviously part of the 'show', so as people laughed and watched, a number of the friendly New Yorker's handed me multiple bottle of sanitizers.  Unfortunately, Chips great idea failed and he was upset at the lost ticket, until a homeless man came over, smiled at Chip and pulled the plastic around the trash can and that lifted the ticket to the top of the lid.  Engineering problem solved, Chip got the ticket and gave the guy $20.

This memory always brings a smile to my face, as does so many others, he was truly one of a kind and I miss him daily.

This is our way at the San Ramon "Chip" Lab to Honor him. We couldn't think of a better way to use the space.

A lot of you may know how much Chip loved movies. He liked all different kinds of movies from B flicks, comedy, action, and even cartoons.       

There was one B flick Chip rented I teased him  about for a very long time "Club Vampire". My husband Kevin and Charissa had already fallen asleep. Chip and I stayed up watching this movie, the whole time saying how bad it was, but we just kept on watching. We had alot of nights/ get togethers like that. always a great time.


There was a period of time when Chip was inbetween companies and decided to take some well needed and very deserved time off before going back to work. Our friend Emily and her son, me and my youngest son were going to the movies to see Monsters, Inc. and invited Chip along. Of course he said yes. I figured he would bebored out of his mind watching this cartoon, but I think he was one of the loudest people in the theater, he was laughing so much. 
Chip had a fun where he went, be it with adults or even spending the afternoon with some women and their kids. These are some of the times I am going to miss the most.
 

Years ago Charissa and Chip had me over for dinner and presented the most wonderful nut cluster dessert made with almond bark.  Oh my, it was to die for.  Chip explained that the almond bark was sent from his family in Texas, for it was not available in California.  It was the most fabulous food and the best company, as expected with C&C.

Years later when I started my chemotherapy, eating was a chore and there was very little that I craved.  Then one day I got a package from Chip and Charissa - pecan clusters and homemade granola!  There were great moments and difficult moments during my cancer battle that I will always remember, and this package is absolutely something I will always remember with gratitude.  Those goodies lifted my spirits beyond measure, and I loved every bite.  My diet is completely different now (very restricted) and I think of that package often (I still have the tin that contained the goodies), for it was in the last days of my "normal" diet and Chip shared his almond bark with me.  :-)  What a happy and sweet memory!

Everyone who knows Chip know that he loves Halloween and everything associated with it. Last October, Chip, Charissa and my family went to Murphy, CA for the annual Calaveras Grape Stomp Festival.  We made costumes for the contest and stomped to the cheer of friends and family and had a great time. Charissa and I beat the boys (Chip and Yon) and were very proud of that.  On our way back, we drove pass Patterson and came upon the Fantozzi Pumpkin Patch and Corn Maze.  The boys and the girls went into the corn maze with great enthusiasm while Charissa and I sat on the hay stacks sipping wine.  When they came back, they were in high spirits, told us about how they broke all the rules getting out of the maze, etc. They also won 3 big pumpkins for finishing the maze. The girls still remember that day as well as each day they spent with Uncle Chip.  

One of Chip's many wonderful qualities is his ability to treat everyone with the same kindness, respect and love. We will always miss him and think of him, especially on Halloween.