Neil Chismar
January 19, 1956 – May 28, 2025Neil Ragan Chismar, age 69, passed away peacefully on May 28, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of kindness, curiosity, and a quiet-but-unshakable authenticity that endeared him to everyone lucky enough to know him.
Neil was raised in Fort Collins, Colorado by his mother Ruth Ragan Chismar and the man he proudly called “Dad,” Andrew Chismar, who embraced Neil as his own. At Fort Collins High School, he set the school’s high jump record—a record that stood strong for more than a decade after his graduation in 1974. But Neil wasn’t just an athlete. He was also a cellist, invited to perform with the prestigious High School International Orchestra.
Early on in his career Neil worked for UBSC in Computer
Operations and also for US West MIS in Computer Operations before working for
Jefferson Sanderson as a Software Quality Analyst which provided him the experience
needed for him to become an independent Certified Auditor for Quality Management Systems
(ISO9001), Aerospace Quality Management Systems (AS9100),
and Information Security Management Systems (ISO27001).
He went on to build a successful career in aerospace and security auditing, eventually founding his own business. In 2022, Neil retired from a profession he truly loved—because when Neil did something, he made sure it mattered.
The greatest joy of his life was his 40-year marriage to Patricia Chismar, who survives him. Together they built a life full of deep conversation, mutual respect, and the kind of easy companionship that comes from being fully seen and fully loved. Their bond was filled with quiet moments, thoughtful gestures, and unforgettable memories.
Neil is also survived by his brothers Samuel Chismar and Owen Gene Chismar Sr., and his nephews Owen Gene Chismar Jr., Stephen Ferguson, and Brandon Chismar, and niece Britney Chismar -- all of whom were proud to call him family. But Neil’s family extended far beyond blood. He was blessed with a group of lifelong friends -- some of whom had known him since the 4th grade. For more than 60 years, these friendships only deepened, and Neil was honored to call them family. They knew him as supportive, generous, forgiving, open-minded, and always real.
Yes, Neil could be a bit wild, but he was also the guy you could always count on. As his friends/family put it “With Neil, what you see is what you get. There was nothing phony about Neil. He’d give you the shirt off his back."
And what we got was someone truly unforgettable.
Neil will be deeply missed, but his memory lives on in the laughter he sparked, the loyalty he gave so freely, and the example he set by simply being himself.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Neil’s honor may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Children’s Hospital Colorado, or Sally Jobe Breast Cancer Foundation—organizations close to his heart.
