Chip Garriss

St. George, UT - Chip Garriss, 73, passed away peacefully Friday, August 4, 2023. Chip was born in November of 1949, in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Mary and Speed Garriss. He began to play golf at the age of ten and advanced quickly to junior golf tournaments. He attended Kailua High School and played the #1 and #2 positions on the team for two years. After graduating from Kailua High in 1967 he participated in several major amateur tournaments that summer in Honolulu. He finished the summer of 1967 by winning the Hawaiian State Amateur, known as the Manoa Cup, at the age of 17.
In the fall of 1967, Chip attended Brigham Young University on a fully paid golf scholarship sponsored by Billy Casper, with whom he had played a tournament the previous year. Chip had much success with golf while playing on the BYU college team. He won the individual championship in the Western Athletic Conference as well as the Northern Utah Amateur and the Utah Junior Open. He set the WAC individual record of 205 beating the record previously set by Bruce Summerhays and was honored as a member of the All-American team. Chip was later celebrated for his golf success in 2001 when he was inducted into the Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame.
In September of 1969, Chip married Linda Kaye Bergquist from Roosevelt, Utah, and the two went on to have three children: Aaron, Serena and Brandon. Chip worked at Riverside Country Club where he was the head golf professional and won several professional events including the Salt Lake City Open, Provo City Open and Wasatch Open.
In 1982, Chip and Linda divorced, and Chip moved back to Hawaii in 1984 where he worked as head pro at Wailea Resort on Maui and later Mauna Lani Resort on the big island. He and Janet Kay Anderson from Orem, Utah, married in July of 1985 on Maui, Hawaii. They were later sealed on October 22, 2011 in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Chip and Janet moved to Sacramento, CA, in 1989 where he took the job as Sales Manager for Spalding Golf. Their son, Connor, was born in February of 1994. After great success with Spalding, Chip and his family made the move to Phoenix, AZ, in 2001, to be closer to his three older children and grandchildren. He worked as Territory Sales Manager for Nike Golf for the next 12 years.
Chip served as a temple ordinance worker in the North Phoenix and St. George Temples and as a first counselor in the Elders Quorum Presidency in St. George.
Travel was a big part of his life with Janet. They spent time in England, Scotland, Australia, Canada, Hawaii, Mexico, Greece, Turkey, the Caribbean, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and many of the European Countries. They returned to Italy several times as it was their favorite. They travelled to many of the US States as well. They enjoyed cruising with Janet's family to many destinations. One of Chip's greatest joys was spending time in their condo at "Rocky Point" Mexico. He and Janet loved taking friends and family with them to walk the beach and enjoy the laid-back lifestyle.
He continued to play golf and competed in many senior tournaments in Utah and Arizona. In 2018, Chip fully retired; he and Janet moved to St. George, Utah, where Chip became a member of Bloomington Country Club where he played almost daily. He pursued other passions as well such as pickleball, paddle-boarding, hiking and e-bike riding. He remained very active in his community and church.
Chip is survived by his wife, Janet; children: Aaron (Emily), Serena (Paul), Brandon, and Connor (Hillarie); his grandchildren: Edison, Oliver, Leonardo, Dominic, Tabitha, and Everleigh; as well as his sister, Marsha (Roscoe); and many loving nieces, nephews and in-laws.
Funeral services will be Tuesday, August 22, 2023, at 11 a.m. at the Red Cliffs 6th Ward Chapel, 1285 North Bluff Street, St. George, Utah. Visitations will be Monday, August 21st from 6 to 8 p.m. at Metcalf Mortuary, 288 West St. George Blvd. and Tuesday, prior to services, from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at Red Cliffs.
Interment will be held Wednesday, August 23, 2023, at 11 a.m. in the Orem City Cemetery, 1520 North 800 East, Orem, Utah.