DODEA school teacher Eric Chipps was remembered at a memorial service in Freedom Chapel at Camp Humphreys, South Korea May 23, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea — Around 100 people gathered at this base’s chapel Thursday to pay final respects to an elementary school teacher and Army veteran who many remembered for providing countless jokes for his students.
Eric Chipps, 64, a native of Mount Gilead, Ohio, died of a stroke on May 11, according to his wife, Carol Chipps. In addition to his wife, he is survived by their four children.
School parents and colleagues gathered at the Freedom Chapel at Camp Humphreys on Thursday and recalled how Chipps would bring smiles to students and ensure they were being cared for.
Working with Chipps was a pleasure; he was known as the “jolly uncle” at the Humphreys West Elementary School, where he most recently taught first grade, principal Edgar Romero said after the memorial service.
“He was the one who, just upon entering, the children just wanted to hug,” Romero said. “He was the one who made the school safe, fluffy and a fun place.”
Chaplain Benjamin Letran, an Army captain, leads a memorial service in the Freedom Chapel at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, on May 23, 2024. (Luis Garcia/Stars and Stripes)
Chipps was previously diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer that spread to his liver and lungs. He was declared cancer-free nine months ago after years of surgeries and chemotherapy, Carol Chipps said after the service.
Chipps inspired fellow teachers by showing up to work despite battling cancer, Romero said.
Army Sgt. 1st Class Mark Kurvach, an unmanned aircraft system operator for Eighth Army, said his son Josiah attended Chipps’ second-grade class last year and would “would just talk about him all the time.”
When Josiah was absent for a few days, Chipps “would always send an email saying if he was alright,” Kurvach said at the service. “I just never encountered a teacher who had done that before.”
In a brief eulogy, Carol recalled one of her late husband’s favorite jokes to tell his students: “What’s orange and goes down the chimney?”
“Fanta Claus,” she said.
Chipps enlisted in the Army as an electronic intelligence analyst in 1976 and attended basic training at Fort Dix, N.J. He served roughly 15 years on active duty in Germany, Turkey, Cuba and Diego Garcia, according to his biography.
Following his military service, Chipps received his bachelor’s degree in education from West Chester University in Pennsylvania. His teaching career with the Department of Defense Education Activity took him to Japan, Germany and South Korea.
