Chester Bond Mclaughlin

Chester Bond McLaughlin IV died peacefully surrounded by family at his home in Prescott, Az., on March 30, 2024. Affectionately known as "Chip," he was a beloved father and husband and a steadfast friend and advocate for many. He was 67 years old.

Chip grew up in the northeast, where he developed a life-long love for the outdoors from an early age. Born in Bronxville, N.Y., on June 21, 1956, to parents Chester Bond McLaughlin III and Elizabeth Taylor McLaughlin, Chip enjoyed swimming, biking, and exploring. He attended the George School in Newton, Penn., and cherished his summers spent trekking across national parks on NOLS outdoor leadership excursions or vacationing in Maine with his sister and cousins.

Chip attended Colorado College in 1975, where he earned a bachelor's degree in psychology.
His love for adventure, coupled with an innate courage and independence, led him to bike across the country by himself as a college student - an expedition that resulted in deep spiritual reflection and human connection with strangers from all walks of life. Whether on his own or with a group, Chip never met someone he couldn't talk to and empathize with, a trait he carried with him through all his years.

Upon graduating from Colorado College, Chip chose to pursue a legal career, driven by a desire to help those who didn't have the voice or means to help themselves. He attended the St. Louis University School of Law in 1980, where he met his first wife, Barbara McEachern McLaughlin, with whom he later had two children. After graduation, they relocated to Arizona, where Chip began his long and successful career as an elder law attorney.

As a direct descendent of Harvard Law's Samuel Williston, the renowned "father of contracts law," and the revered New York Appellate Court Judge Chester McLaughlin, Chip was gifted with a sharp legal mind. His career in elder law flourished, beginning with positions with the Arizona State Hospital, the Samaritan Foundation, and the Law Offices of Charles Arnold, before he ultimately opened his own practice in Phoenix in 1995. Over the years, he was consistently listed in Best Lawyers in America and Southwest Super Lawyers, became a life member of the national registry of Who's Who Top Lawyers, and was an active member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, serving as president and vice president of the Arizona chapter.

But it was his unwavering compassion for others and lifelong pursuit of truth and goodness that made the biggest impact, both on his career and the lives of those he helped and loved. He spent many years serving on the board of the greater Phoenix chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and the Governor's Council on Aging, tirelessly advocating at the state and federal levels for policies, funding, and research to better support the unique needs of seniors. Chip was known for his generosity and sense of humor, and he often made lasting personal connections with the people he served. His children lovingly remember the way he opened his home and heart on holidays to individuals he met who were less fortunate and without families of their own.

Chip continued to serve his community when he relocated his firm to Prescott, Az., in 2008, where he went on to practice law for another 15 years. He became an active board member of Prescott Meals on Wheels and the Prescott Area Boys to Men, the latter of which imbued a new passion for helping adolescent boys reach their fullest potential. He carried that passion through to the end of his life, serving as a mentor with the local Boys and Girls Club and leading the Launch Pad Teen Center's school-based empowerment circles up until his final days.

While living in Prescott, Chip also met his second wife, Nanci Chalquest, in October 2018. They shared a love of hiking and traveling and spent time together loving on friends and family - especially Chip's grandchildren, who could never wait to see them for hours of fun wrestling, building train tracks, and playing silly games. He and Nanci married on August 14, 2023, and spent their final months together in the historic home they carefully and beautifully renovated near Prescott's downtown square.

Chip will always be lovingly remembered for his courage, honesty, and vulnerability - the guiding principles that shaped his life, touched the lives of countless others, and made him beloved by so many. He is survived by his wife Nanci Chalquest, daughter Kirsten Yates, son Taylor McLaughlin, grandchildren, Austen Yates, Evelyn Yates, and C. Allen Yates Jr., and sister Margaret Lawrence.

A celebration of his life will be held on May 4, 2024, with a service at the Center for Spiritual Living, Prescott, Az., at 1:30 pm MST, and a reception to follow at the Sam Hill Warehouse. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Prescott Launch Pad Teen Center in his honor.

"Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you."
~ Shannon L. Alder

"Honesty is more than not lying. It is truth telling, truth speaking, truth living, and truth loving."
~ James E. Faust