Eric "Ric" Chipps

Mr. Eric “Ric” Chipps, aged 64, passed away on May 11, 2024, at Camp Humphreys, South Korea.

Ric, or Ricky as he was known as a child, was born on August 18, 1959, to Army veteran and mechanic Arthur and nurse Betty Chipps. Ricky grew up with four siblings, Denny, Chrissy, Candy, and Cindy, along with many “bonus” siblings, which included extended family and friends. As a child, Ricky loved to play outside, orchestrating adventures as a cowboy, soldier, fairytale hero, or astronaut as he played in the creek behind his family home in Mount Gilead, Ohio. He would later recall the excitement of watching the 1969 moon landing while drinking the astronauts’ favored drink, Tang.

When he was 17, Ric wanted to explore the world and joined the Army. He attended basic training at Fort Dix in New Jersey. His wish to see the world came true, through his assignments to faraway locations such as Germany, Turkey, Cuba, and Diego Garcia. He served proudly as a 98J Electronic Warfare Non-Communication Interceptor/Analyst. When he was 18 years old, Eric met his first wife, Pat. They had two children together, Jason and Sarah, before divorcing.

At Fort Meade, Maryland, Ric met the love of his life, Carol. Both served as Army intelligence soldiers; they were best friends and would happily talk for hours together. They were married in Everhart Park in Carol’s hometown of West Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1990. Carol and Ric celebrated 33 years of marriage in 2023.

Ric and Carol ended their active duty service and rejoined the civilian world in 1990. With his GI Bill benefits and Carol’s support, Ric completed his bachelor’s degree in education at West Chester University.

During this time, Carol gave birth to triplets, Ricky, Katie, and Emmie. Ric later accepted a teaching position with the U.S. Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) in Japan. Ric saw this as the best possible opportunity to teach, give back to his military community, and provide for his young family at the same time. Their family grew complete when their youngest, Abbie, was born during their time in Japan.

Ric and the family moved to Mannheim, Germany for his second DoDEA teaching assignment. During their ten years in Germany, Ric loved to tinker as his father had, to garden, travel, and camp.

In 2012, the Chipps family this time moved to Camp Humphreys, South Korea. Mr. Chipps often shared how proud he was to serve the Humphreys community during its growth from a small Army post surrounded by rice paddies to now the largest U.S. military installation in the world, hosting both the UN Command and the Army’s most active airfield in the Pacific. A lifelong learner, he earned his Master of Education in Teaching English Learners degree to better serve Humphreys’ diverse community of learners.

Ric was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer in 2016, which spread to his liver and lungs. After six years of treatment, including surgeries and chemotherapy, without complaint, Ric successfully beat cancer.

Ric is survived by his loving family, including his wife Carol; children Jason, Sarah (Lee), Ricky, Katie, Emmie, and Abbie; and grandchildren Jude, Florence, and Ezra.

A memorial mass was held at Our Lady Queen of Peace, Freedom Chapel on Camp Humphreys, on Thursday, May 23, at 4 p.m. Korea Standard Time (GMT+9).

Ric's visitation will be on Monday, October 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4) at the Cunningham Turch Funeral Home, 811 Cameron Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.

Ric will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, October 8. The time of the burial is 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4). All are invited to the visitation and burial. If you go to the burial, be at the Arlington National Cemetery Welcome Center, 1 Memorial Ave, Fort Myer, VA 22211, by 9:15 a.m. with a valid photo ID for access.

In lieu of flowers, Mr. Chipps' family requests that you read a good book with your loved ones, particularly one of Ric's favorites, such as "The Magic Tree House" series or the works of Tomie DePaola.