Paul Brady
Chip and I NEVER grew up together in Freeport, LI, NY. He lived 2 blocks away and his parents were having children at the same clip my parents were having them. Chip was a year behind me at Holy Redeemer school and we both had the same demonic nun for 4th grade. She was a nut job and one day she was doing her holy chore of slapping her students around until she picked on the wrong kid. While unleashing her arm at Chip he blocked it and bolted out of the school and ran all the way home in the cold without his jacket. The next day he started public school.
During or after high school he delivered "goods" for Horrigan's Liquors on Main St. He told me the story of one delivery where he was held up, had his money and the goods stolen, and was sent to the roof of the building where he found a pizza guy in the same condition. I ran across Chip's name in a WSJ Friday edition about 24 years ago when John and Dorothy Gaitner (?) had a wine column. Chip was one of the wine experts they talked to about which was the best wine for under $10. That article prompted my phone call to him. Since then I ordered his wine books for myself and for a friend who is big into wines. All payments were made to the Cancer center where his wife, Chris, had her cancer treatments.
I was glad to have Chip as a friend because if he wasn't a friend I would have needed to walk on the other side of the street if I saw him. Chip didn't back down from anything or anyone. He may have been one of the Mockeries of Geebaland, a made up name for a made up gang of Freeport High School mafia wanna be's. He was a man's man and obviously a child's dad and wife's husband. As usual I wish I had spoken to him more.
Cheers, Chip. You did your parents and family proud.
Paul A. Brady