Kelly called just a bit ago to tell me that Rolando “Chip” Cheng (someone I knew peripherally in high school and college) jumped to his death yesterday morning in downtown Louisville. The Courier-Journal reports: Man who jumped to his death identified.
I encountered Chip at first from my experience on Eastern High School’s Quick Recall team – he was a student a Manual High School (where Kelly went to High School). Manual, being the magnet school that it was, was to be feared, but I seem to remember Chip being one of the heavyweights on a team of heavyweights.
This scenario is unfortunately all to familiar to me, having learned of the death of another brilliant mind shortly before Christmas, three years ago – Ben Edelson. Another genius with a troubled mind crushed under the weight of things they kept all too private.
I can’t pretend to have known Chip to the same level I did Ben, but the similarities are enough to send that pang directly into my gut. Chip’s own words (update: a local copy of his UofL blog) cast a more frightening shadow – one of paranoia, confusion and ramblings I’ve only ever read from someone in a state of advanced mental torment. Be advised that it does lead all the way to the end, giving us a window into his state of mind.
Further: fraterfamilias.blogspot.com
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I found out today and was shocked. Chip was a really good guy and this is terrible.
I’m a little late to the post, but I didn’t find out until recently about Chip’s death. A Google search led me here. I was a co-captain on that Quick Recall team of “heavyweights” with Chip and counted him a close friend. Unfortunately, life took me a different direction and I lost track of him until I heard of this. He was great guy and, despite how his life ended, I’m glad someone memorialized him properly. So, thank you.
Almost as shocking to me is the death of Ben Edelson, who I also squared off against (and likely this site’s host as well) in Quick Recall. I can’t really call him a friend, but I knew him and liked him, and he occassionally hung out with the Manual students (he dated Stacy Cook, a classmate of mine, if I remember right).
Two guys lost way too early to disturbing circumstances. But it’s good they are remembered.