Charles Joseph Myrtle

1945 - 2022

MYRTLE

CHARLES JOSEPH MYRTLE "Chip"

Charles Joseph "Chip" Myrtle passed away on April 11, 2022, in Denver, Colorado, following complications from a respiratory condition. Chip was 77 years old and leaves his wife Connie Carpenter and her daughters Keri Scott and Kim Nuttell. He was born in 1945 to Charles Myrtle and Alice White Myrtle in Buffalo, New York. He was the second of seven children: Michael (d), Chip, James, John (d), Mary, Martha, and Edward. Raised in Hyattsville, Maryland, he was a born athlete, playing football, baseball and basketball for his schools and for his hometown teams in Green Meadows. He attended Archbishop John Carroll High School and was later inducted into its Athletic Hall of Fame. He was recruited by the University of Maryland, where he played football and earned a Bachelor's Degree.

After college, Chip was recruited by the Denver Broncos and played professional football for six seasons with the Broncos and for one year with the San Diego Chargers. His final season was in 1975 with the Jacksonville Express. When Denver recruited him, Chip was asked to change from a college receiver to a professional linebacker. He worked out all that summer to prepare for training camp, running up and down the steps of the University of Maryland's football stadium, building up muscle and going from 180 to 230 pounds for his new position. Playing linebacker was a natural fit for Chip, allowing him to take full advantage of his intelligence, versatility, speed, and strength. For the 1968 season, the Broncos changed his jersey number from 54 to 89, thereby allowing him to play both offense and defense without reporting to the officials that he was remaining on the field, a rarity in professional football. Following his football career, Chip stayed in Denver and had a long and successful career in real-estate.

Chip made innumerable lifelong friends during his life in and outside of football. He cherished those relationships and was always a true and reliable friend. A good and kind man, he enjoyed spending time with family and friends. His compassion and concern for animals was unbounded. He was a big and gentle guy who loved Van Gogh's Starry Night, two-dollar bills, sending cards on all occasions to everyone he knew and to some he just met. He lived life unrestrained. He gave big bear hugs (which, in his prime, and even afterward, were imposing), had an infectious smile and laugh, a larger-than-life personality, and an irrepressible spirit.

A memorial will be held in Colorado on Monday, May 2. A memorial in the D.C. area will be held in the Fall to celebrate Chip's life.