Falls Church Set to Remember Chip Hailey Tonight

Charles “Chip” Hailey III touched the lives of many people before his sudden death early Saturday morning.

Michael Palmrose had only known Hailey for just over two years, but saw an opportunity to learn a few things about television from a veteran.

“I kind of saw him as a mentor,” Palmrose, station supervisor for Falls Church City Television said in a telephone interview. “He was in broadcast almost his whole life.”

The city will remember Hailey during visitations at , 1102 W. Broad St. in the city tonight. The visitation will go from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and a memorial service will be held Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. at First Baptist Church of the City of Washington D.C. Hailey died at The Virginia Hospital Center at 1 a.m. on Sept. 17.

For more than 30 years, Hailey created several programs airing on FCC-TV, volunteering three days a week, Palmrose said.

In honor of Hailey, Palmrose said he wants to commit an entire day sometime soon to airing programs created by his late friend. Palmrose said a video would also be produced to honor Hailey. Chip and his many contributions will be honored at the FCC-TV Annual Meeting in October.

“He was really a nice guy,” Palmrose said. “He was always willing to help out.”

Born May 2, 2942, Hailey was a founding member of the Falls Church Cable Access Corporation, which was formed in the 1980s. Hailey was a long-time member and multi-term president of the Cable Access Board. He was also a graduate of .

Barb Cram said Hailey described Hailey as old school because he refused to use a computer to email people. She said for someone involved with audio/video equipment, he wasn’t one to completely buy into the technological era.

“If you wanted to talk to Chip you had to call him on the phone or come see him,” Cram said.

When she and Hailey would meet for lunch, Cram said he liked to go to and order the club sandwich. She said he was very committed to doing things the right way and often did things for people he didn’t know.

“He was about everyone else but himself,” Cram said. “He cared about the work, not himself.”

Hailey, born with cerebral palsy in Washington, D.C., was the son of a former City of Falls Church mayor. Cram said Hailey never married and didn’t have many family members left in the area. She said Hailey received the Ripley Award in 2010, the highest honor given by the Falls Church Cable Access Board.

“He was particular about doing things the right way,” Cram said. “I liked how he was a loyal, focused person.”

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to THE CHIP HAILEY FUND at The First Baptist Church, 1328 16th Street, NW. Washington, D.C., 20036. 

Be sure to share your pictures and memories about Chip Hailey on the Chip Hailey Memorial Page on Facebook by clicking here.

For more information, visit FCC-TV http://www.fcctv.net/blog/chip/