In Memory of

Steven

A.

Chipman

Obituary for Steven A. Chipman

Steven Allen Chipman, 50, of Ellington, died Thursday, March 29, 2018 at Saint Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Hartford, in the loving arms of his wife, and surrounded by family and close friends.

Born and raised in Rockville in 1967 to the late Allen and Linda Chipman, he married the love of his life, a fellow police officer, Kate Rooney, on Oct. 10, 1998. He and Kate have two sons, Hunter and Jake, who were the lights of his life.

He was a graduate of Rockville High School and Manchester Community College, and a veteran of the Connecticut U.S. Army National Guard, in which he proudly served from 1986 to 1992.

In June 2012, Steve retired from the Vernon Police Department, where he was a highly decorated officer, after 23 exemplary years of service. Subsequently, Steve became a private detective, and founded Innovative Investigators LLC.

David Tupponce, who grew up with Steve in Rockville, recalls him looking out “for the smaller kids at school. This same desire to help and protect people led him into law enforcement, but it was his sense of humor and easygoing nature that endeared him to so many people and earned him the name of ‘Thug Whisperer’ at work.”

As kids, “Steve and I spent most of our free time riding our bikes all over Rockville, playing marathon Wiffle-ball games in my backyard with all the other neighborhood kids until it turned into a dustbowl, and playing football at Maple Street School on warm summer afternoons.”

The things that made Steve a great friend also made him a great dad.

“Steve never expressed how nervous he was to become a father, but when they placed Hunter in his arms, he found a love he never knew existed inside of him. In his boys’ eyes, he truly is a superhero,” said Kate.

“He was also endlessly patient. He taught them the Buddha concept that you don’t have to be loud and aggressive to prove your point,” said Kate, acknowledging that it’s a lesson “I’m still trying to teach myself.”

Steve could vehemently disagree with someone about something like politics, and the discussion never grew personal, or precluded a hug or a handshake at the end of the evening, friends and family agreed.

Steve, who spent his life helping others and saving lives, did so to the end, donating his organs and tissues for transplantation and research. Two people have already successfully received his kidneys.

Steve was predeceased by his father Allen, his mother Linda (Prachniak)Chipman, his younger sister Sallie (Chipman)Aubin and his younger brother Joseph.

Steve leaves to mourn numerous (too many to count) family and friends.

Visiting hours will be at Small &Pietras Funeral Homes, 65 Elm St., Rockville, 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., on Monday, April 2, 2018. At Hunter and Jake’s request visitors are invited to wear a Superhero Tee Shirt or a concert shirt.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Bernard Catholic Church on St. Bernard Terrace, Rockville, at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April, 3, 2018. Please meet at the church.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Chipman Family Education Fund for his children, c/o United Bank, 6 Pitkin Road, Vernon.