Chad Matthew Scott Chaffee

Chad described himself to me as the “most extroverted introvert” ever with a slight smile when he said it. He always talked to me about you and his boys… he was such a proud parent, and I could tell he was a loving husband and it goes without saying he was a passionate engineer. He would frequently tell me about weekends sitting in the sun in the bleachers watching your son at the track and field meets. He would tell me stories with such joy and love for your family about going up North for a long weekend, spending time in Kauai, and going to on weekend beach trips all together with the Snyder family. He would always have virtual backgrounds in our WebEx meetings with either Kauai, Mars, Phoenix skyline, American flag, or Cowboys. Chad was one of my favorite people and someone I deeply respected and cared about. We became part of the same team at Cisco in October 2020 but we had known each other for a couple of years in the Cisco office and through mutual friends, like Matt Brown. We quickly got to a trusting and friendly relationship through some big changes at Cisco recently, and I was so honored to work with him. His brand in our community and his authenticity made him such a special person and an incredibly talented engineer. Chad was someone that was the bridge between the “old” Cisco teams and cultures, and building the future with our new team. He was known for his infectious laugh, comradery with the Cisco team, being an advocate fighting for whatever his customers told him they needed, and his incredible expertise. The last time Chad and I got to hang out and chat was at the Cisco team happy hour at Scottsdale Quarter which was the Thursday before Fathers Day weekend. I remember how happy he was being with the team in person, and telling me about the family. We talked about your favorite restaurant being the Salt Cellar and how adventurous of a chef he was at home, cooking any kind of seafood. I think you may have cooked lobster at home for Fathers Day weekend? It was really sweet how he talked about it and he was standing up and smiling the entire time. The Cisco Business Unit engineers cared about him just as much as the people directly on the team and told me “Chad is synonymous with Circle K” and they admired his ability to have those kinds of relationships with customers. He was well known for leading the User Group with Quinn and he made it so fun by bringing people together, educating people, and keeping the topic changing all the time. When Chad provided a candidate background for the engineering manager role, he commented this proudest accomplishment was being able to take care of his family, specifically Misty being able to be a full time mom. As a mom, it meant so much to me that Chad shared that and I let him know that I was really moved by that sentiment. It made me tear up because I have two young daughters (2 and 3 years old)… Chad has a really special place in my heart and I know countless other people feel the same way. Ill always be thinking of you and your boys and I am so glad that I got to know Chad. I’ll remember him and do my best to live a life at Cisco and personally that I think he would have been proud of.

I first met Chad as a customer… He was a managed services network engineer at Calence and I was a managed services customer… We developed a mutual respect for each other over the years as peers and co-workers as we each progressed our careers along parallels tracks, ultimately both working at Cisco. One of our shared passions was the Avnet / Tech Data Tech Games. We would typically begin planning in the late fall for the annual event in the spring, working together to develop Cisco network focused challenges for college and high school students to compete in to win scholarships. The “games” always combined elements of networking and cybersecurity in practical, hands-on lab deployments that mimic real-world deployments. Chad was always eager to help refine and improve the game and guide students to the right answer. In our last event before COVID (April 2019), we added a new element that included a student teams being able to give up some of their points to “hire” a CCIE (which of course was Chad) for 15-minutes, to help them with configurations and I believe even had a bidding war between two teams to get his time. The last time I saw Chad in person was in July 2020 at the Cisco office in Phoenix. We were closing the office, so Chad and I were working together for the day to move all of our tech games lab gear offsite. While we were on different teams at Cisco, we’d often interact due to our shared passion for Tech Games, history with Calence, and Chad’s involvement helping lead the Phoenix Cisco Users’ Group. He will be greatly missed! I don’t have many photos of Chad, but the ones I do have, I’ve shared via Google Photos here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/tk3xCPuJjZDJD6ch7

Misty, heartbroken for you a your family. We are praying for God’s comfort for you. Chad was a wonderful person.

Chadly…I have been sharing my thoughts with you about how much I appreciated you as my work husband back a few years ago…and how even recently loved your book recommendation and discussion on the topic (and your book list you maintained I always checked over the years) [redacted]) ….and how you set me straight on Star Wars history and little known facts (to me) that again inspired me to be a Star Wars fan as a grown kid. Starting as Work husband, hope you agree we evolved to friends, and now with the sad perspective of losing you too early, you will always be someone I admire, respect and proud to see you live your dreams pursuing your career and especially family passions! Thx U for the years of Movember support & for creating this pic below for the team. To the Chaffee Family no words could help your sorrow in this moment, but know Chad had many fans, loved you greatly and “his force “will always be in your heart.

Misty… my heart aches for you too… I so looked up to the love you two shared… such an example to me of TRUE LOVE !!! Please know my prayers are with you !

Misty, I cannot imagine your heartbreak and sorrow. Your love story is one of the best I know, a fairytale. Praying for Chad, you, and your loved ones now. ❤❤❤ Chad’s the quintessential family man, a hard worker, and he adored you proudly.

Misty, though no words can touch your sorrow and pain – please know Chad’s joy for life is certainly a part of his legacy. I knew him back in high school thru marching band. He was always smiling and such a warm and joyful soul. Truly, even today, I think back and am touched by his presence. Clearly I’m one of many who feel the same. Hugs to you and yours as you navigate these challenging days ahead. You are not alone! ?

My heart is broken. I can’t say anything that conveys my thoughts and feelings for Chad being gone. The depths of my soul are with you and your family Misty. I am praying for you and your family. Chad was a friend.

Chad was a beloved member of the Hands of Joy Sign Language Choir. He joined the choir when he was just a little guy, and we adult choir members so enjoyed his energy and enthusiasm for sign language, as well as his love of the Lord. He grew so proficient in sign language that he often was a soloist at our concerts. One of his favorite songs to sign was, “That’s When the Angels Rejoice!” He will be dearly missed. ? ❤️

So sorry for your loss. I only knew Chad through business as he was our Cisco System Engineer. He was such a nice guy, very knowledgeable, was always looking out for our best interests and so easy to work with. I wish I got to know him a little more personally. He will be missed.

I’m so sorry, prayers for all the family and friends

Praying for you and your family. Chad was a beautiful person. The Lord will take care of you all

Love and prayers of peace and comfort to your family and friends. Rest easy my friend. Until we meet again.

Misty & Boys, we are so sorry for your loss. We will miss Chad so much. We are so grateful that we were able to spend time more time with him these last couple months. Chad was one of the kindest and most generous people that we know. He had a laugh that was so contagious. Sending lots of love and prayers to you and the boys during this difficult time.

Life is precious and Chad Chaffee and was taken too early leaving behind a loving family and friends. When I look back on my life and what I am most proud of, I think of my Misty & Chad. Chad was a young boy working at Sears but wanted to learn technology. He was so eager and his smile was so endearing so we ‘voted on his potential’ and he was hired on at Darcomm. Chad, took every vendor provided technology class and soon he was working on Cisco certs. As soon as he was spewing technology lingo, I was taking him along on my sales calls. I was like a proud mom! And I am sure I am not alone, many of us were cheering Chad on, he was just so kind and dedicated and the kind of soul you want to have succeed in life. Meanwhile, I hired Misty as the receptionist at Darcomm and was able to really get to know Misty when her and Bredon moved in with me during a transition period in their life. Well of course I couldn’t help but strategically encourage my favorite 2 people to date and I even had help from others at the office like Hope Knapp Salas and Amanda Snyder who quickly became Misty Chaffee’s bestie. Many of us shared in their beginnings but Chad and Misty created a wonderful family and life. We will all be eternally torn by the loss of Chad. Misty please know that you have a long list of family and friends and don’t forget that we are all here for you. You were Chad’s Angel!

I will miss you brother! I am so thankful that Carl Andersen and I came with Connor and Logan last Thanksgiving. We were blessed to get our families together again! The only thing that gives me peace, is the thought of you, dad, and Nana together! I hope you and dad are fishing as I write this. I know your spirit will be side by side with Misty Chaffee Nolan, Ethan, and Brayden, giving them the strength to be their best self, just as our Dad did when he went to Heaven. Look how awesome you turned out! We will see each other again someday. ❤

I’ve been trying to figure out what to say, but the words just don’t come. I can’t imagine your pain! Chad was such a great guy, and will be missed by so many.

Chad was a good friend, and will be missed.

I am very sorry for your loss.

Beautiful tribute. Praying so hard for you and your family, Misty. May God comfort your hearts in your time of mourning. Sending so much love to you.