My name is Stephanie Denson. On Christmas Eve of 1991, when our son Taylor was 5 months old, my husband John and I asked Chip to be his Godfather. Since then Chip has been part of our "chosen family," attending significant family events (including confirmations and graduations for our children Taylor and Eli) and spending most Christmases with us. Two years ago Chip was with us as we celebrated Taylor's wedding to Nicole, pinning the boutonnière on his jacket. It was a joyous celebration.

John, Taylor, Nicole, Eli and I were all devastated to learn of Chip's unexpected death on September 30. We are joined in our grief by friends far and wide who loved Chip, as well as his three brothers.

John is responsible for taking care of Chip's affairs. This includes cremating and shipping his remains from Washington DC; disposing of the contents of his storage unit in New York; disposing of the contents of his apartment in San Francisco; and arranging for a memorial service for him at his beloved Church of the Advent of Christ the King in San Francisco on November 8.

Many of Chip's friends assisted him financially over the years, for which he was very grateful. Unfortunately, there are very limited funds to take care of any final arrangements. We humbly request assistance for the tasks ahead, recognizing that expenses will be significant and friends may wish to make a memorial gift to lessen the burden.

Any funds not used for Chip's final affairs will be donated to Church of the Advent, which has (due to lack of funds from the estate) graciously offered to donate a columbarium niche, music, and a reception following the Requiem Mass.