It is with great sadness that we share news of the death of our colleague Edward "Chip" Boland, husband of Diane Smith (Department of Geosciences) and visiting faculty member in both the Departments of Biology and Computer Science, first teaching at Trinity in 1995 and most recently in 2018. He is remembered for his formidable intellect and equally keen sense of humor. His colleagues recall his lifelong passion of learning and teaching—in and out of the classroom. In addition to his work at Trinity, his teaching career included mentoring and encouraging students at the University of Notre Dame, Southeastern Louisiana University, and the University of Texas–San Antonio.
Chip was not a person defined simply by a title, or a hobby, or a profession, as he was fully engaged in life, scholarship, and family in ways that defy easy labels. After earning his Ph.D. in biology and cell physiology at Notre Dame, his prolific research at Rice University, the University of Texas Health Science Center, and Southwest Research Institute was robust and diverse, from molecular genetics and cell biology to tissue engineering and material biocompatibility. Yet it was a "couple of computer sciences" courses taken at Trinity that would captivate him later in his career, launching a second professional life in consulting and teaching in the field.
Chip's appreciation for the natural world extended beyond the laboratory, as he was a devoted gardener and animal lover. And despite this gentle nature, he was also a dynamic athlete who played rugby and was a regular at Trinity 'noon ball' for as long as his health allowed. But his deepest, truest devotion was overwhelmingly reserved for his wife, Diane, and their daughters, Carolyn and Joanna. Chip and Diane met at Rice University where he completed a post-doctoral fellowship. They began a more than 30-year journey together that is a celebration of the truest kind of partnership, engaging the heart, mind, and spirit. Chip's pride and contentment in his exceptional family were his north star, the light of which shines on.
Chip's family hopes you will join them in a celebration of life at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 11 at the Margarite B. Parker Chapel on the Trinity University campus. The family asks that donations be made in his memory to the ALS Association.
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