Obituary Charles Carroll “Chick” Alsop IV passed away on July 10, 2018 at age 74. Chick grew up in Oskaloosa and later made his home in Honolulu. His parents Carroll and Anne Alsop of Oskaloosa and Nisswa, Minnesota are deceased.
Living family members are sisters Jane Comstock of Lexington, VA and Ann Marie “Reedy” Rod of Coeur d’ Alene, ID, two brothers-in-law Carroll Comstock and Doug Rod, niece Lee Comstock, nephews Andy Comstock, Griffin Rod, Reuben Rod, his aunt Emily Russell of Oskaloosa, and cousins Kate Russell Henry and Molly Spayde Hallock. Also, important to mention are all of good and loyal friends throughout the country. Chick graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 1962 and went to Southern Methodist University where he received his bachelor’s degree.
Inspired by flights in his Uncle Chuck Russell’s private plane, after college he enrolled in Navy flight school where he learned to fly F-4 Phantoms, leaving as a lieutenant in 1970. He then moved to Honolulu and was a pilot for Aloha Airlines for over 30 years. After retirement in 2004, Chick was able to travel more and became serious about photography.
He would spend months at a time living and trekking in remote parts of the world. He liked photographing the local residents that he met and stayed with during his travels in places such as Tibet, Pakistan, China, India, Nepal and Mongolia. He would return home and spend weeks developing his film into slides and then gave presentations on his trips to various groups in Honolulu.
He also published travel articles in local newspapers. He wrote short stories and poetry about his experiences and had plans to create a book. Family and friends are currently working to get his travel book published.
Chick spent much of his life looking for the next physical challenge, whether it was running marathons, competing in triathlons, trekking in foreign countries, climbing mountain peaks, cycling, sailing, skiing. Chick would agree that some of his most thrilling moments while living in Honolulu were sailing with friends and crew in the Friday night races out of the Waikiki Harbor on his boat the “Born Free”. Another highlight was a 1982 fishing excursion when a crew of family and friends landed a 1051-pound marlin which was recorded as the largest ever caught off the coast of Oahu at that time.
And it was all accomplished in his and a friend’s old Japanese style sampan. Important to mention is how every summer since he was a small child he would travel to the beloved family homes on Gull Lake in Minnesota to spend time with family and childhood friends. Chick loved famous quotes and you could find them copied onto notecards and displayed everywhere in his home.
This is one of his favorites and certainly captures the way Chick tried to live his life: “Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming ‘Wow! What a ride! ’” Hunter S. Thompson.
A memorial for Chick is being planned by his friends in Honolulu on August 26. Information about the memorial can be found at www. jnzumbrunfuneralhome.com or at chickmemorial@yahoo.com.
Anyone wishing to contribute in memory of Chick is requested to donate to the Jamyang Foundation, an education project for Himalayan women. Chick traveled to India on several occasions to volunteer for this organization and was dedicated to their mission. Please go to www.
jamyang.org for all donation details. Donations may be made to: Jamyang Foundation Web: www.
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