John Irving

A caring, loving, intelligent and kind soul left us early in the evening of April 30, 2024.

April 30, the day when ancients and contemporaries, celebrate the infinite potential of the spiritual realms, sparking the energy of God, with ushering souls off and onto the planet with ease and grace.

Those who knew Chip were familiar with his infallible kind spirit and witty intellect.

He always had kind and encouraging words and was always considerate and compassionate.

He was such a light in this world, a rare example of a true gentleman.

Highly intelligent and well read, a conversation with Chip was never dull.

Even through his challenging years of sickness, he was always concerned with helping and looking out for others, and always offering a kind word of love and encouragement to those around him.

Chip was endlessly gentle spirited and brought a heartening energy with his cheerful comforting demeanor, and contagiously warm smile.

Chip meant the world to his wife Christine Pierce, his stepchildren, Isis Pierce, Olivia Pierce-Eiselein,

Mackay Pierce-Eiselein his wife Catherine and their children Rowan and Clara Pearl.

Chip loved life, Colorado, deep space, astronomy, music, wildflowers, travel reading, political science, global affairs, kids, and every dog he ever met, even crabby Wilson the mini-Aussie.

He read every day most of his life, bought new books weekly and read them all.

Chips life career was in the Aerospace industry. He was so proud to see projects they worked on, end up in orbit, in space and even on Mars.

He was an extremely intelligent, kind, sensitive and generous soul. Chip was up for just about any adventure, and adventure he did. From Alaska to Costa Rica, Europe, Africa, much of the US and various inward journeys. An unplanned trip deep into the jungles of the Yucatan, in the back of a seatless old van with several dozen watermelons banging around was spectacular. We met a young Mayan astrologer who drove us for several hours through the jungle on dirt roads to his small village. A temescal, cenote-alligator adventure and various inward experience turned the adventure into an unforgettable trip.

He loved Red Rocks, City Park, Denver, the wonderful music venues there, the Museum of Nature and Science, the Denver Art Museum and Contemporary Art Museum. He loved New York, Central Park, Broadway, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Chip was an erudite and true renaissance guy.

His was an interesting lineage. He had grandfathers who brought in the first telephones to Colorado and sat as the chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court, Aunt Agnes, the first woman to climb many of Colorado's 14,000-foot peaks, she died doing a winter climb on Longs Peak near Denver, a US Colorado senator in 1889, a grandmother on the nomenclature committee tasked to name the many peaks around the Denver area.

She drove by herself in an old model T to meet with Native Americans that once occupied those lands, consulting with them for the naming. Oliver Wolcott, a direct ancestor signed the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and was a Sons of Liberty. He was also mentored by Alexander Hamilton and was George Washington's second secretary of the treasure. Chip was modest, unpretentious, and only spoke about his family history when incessantly pressed by Christine.

Chip, born and raised in Denver, Colorado, was the youngest child of Harriet Bouck Irving and John Whitney Irving Sr. They had four children before him.

Barbara Vaille, Michael Casey, their sons Philip, and Arden.

David Irving, Wife Anne, and son Gideon, of Denver, Colorado.

Ginny Gates and her daughters Erin and Jodi of Hood River Oregon and Cathy Grace of Nederland, Colorado.

I know in my heart that Chip is in a loving and joyous place and joining his parents, first wife Yvonne Irving and brother-in-law Steve Gates.

Chips good friends Richard and MaryAnn Ziemba were wonderful sources of laughter and good times for much of his life.

John Whitney Irving Jr. was above all kind and courageous. He lived his life the same way he left. With grace, dignity and caring for those around him. He is so dearly missed. The comfort being that he is truly in a place of love.

His legacy, the love he gave, the kindness he modeled, that is with us always.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Pastor Melvin Terry at All Nation Christian Church of Billings.

Services will be held at a later date.