Francis Moffitt "Chip" Traynor Jr.

Francis Moffitt “Chip” Traynor Jr. of Atlanta, GA and Pensacola, FL was born in Providence R.I., on October 12, 1942, and passed away peacefully and suddenly from natural causes in his home on September 11, 2024.

Chip was the son of Francis Moffitt Traynor of Plattsburgh, NY, and Mary Louise (Lou) Childerson of Pensacola, FL. Being the son of a Naval aviator who fought in the Pacific theater of World War II, Chip grew up all over the map, but ultimately found his roots and fell in love with Pensacola. Perhaps, enduring the pain of a broken home in his youth is what led to his lifelong penchant toward kindness and encouragement of others. He was bound and determined to change his humble and broken beginnings, to flip the script, to create a better story, a better world, and leave a lasting legacy.

Chip accomplished this goal, and made a profoundly positive impact on this world in the process. He was lover of life, a doting husband, a devoted and caring father, and a loyal friend. He was a legendary businessman, and a legendary coach. His enthusiastic zeal to live life to the fullest was contagious.

Generous to a fault, he supported his family, and everyone in his circles to extreme measures. A father-figure to many, he had an extraordinary ability to make people feel encouraged, inspired, and uplifted. He was a lifelong collector of people. He delighted in people. He never missed an opportunity to connect people. He was a lover, not a fighter – but fight he did for the things in this life that are worthy. He was described as one who held you gently with his eyes, and spoke life into your soul with a warm and inviting presence. He worked diligently at everything he did, and believed the “harder you work, the more fun you have.” Enduring significant swings of fortune, he never let rags, nor riches, define him. Most importantly, he loved his family with every fiber of his being until his last breath.

Chip navigated his early teen years in East Texas where he showed athletic promise, ultimately settling back in Pensacola with his mother and sister (Shari) where he became a two-sport star. A starter at defensive end for Top 10 nationally ranked Escambia High School, football would later become a passion, but his best sport was baseball. Leading the city in triples his senior year, he was drafted into the minor leagues.

However, Chip turned down a life of baseball in favor of following his family’s legacy earning an appointment to the Naval Academy. Right before enrollment, his dreams were crushed as he was disqualified due to an immaterial heart murmur diagnosis. He enrolled at Pensacola Junior College and then matriculated from Florida State University where his life-long love for the Seminoles was born.

After graduation, he worked on an offshore oil rig, bartended, and pool-sharked his way through two years of law school at the University of Alabama before the money ran out. He then moved to Atlanta and worked on a loading dock before landing a stockbroker position for Robinson Humphrey in 1968. Soon after, he met the love of his life, Susan Worley of Coral Gables, FL. They married in 1970, and never really parted. Chip died with his wedding ring on despite Susan passing nine months earlier. Chip and Susan were married for 53 years and raised three children in Atlanta and Pensacola, and had nine grandchildren. He often said raising his children was the most successful and meaningful thing he ever did.

The fear of being normal drove Chip to always think big. By the mid 1970’s he had leveraged that mindset and grit into becoming the largest producer for Robinson Humphrey and eventually the firm’s second largest shareholder. He produced revenue numbers that were unheard of for his day, and he was featured in the New York Times and other national financial publications. He was a Board of Director for Robinson Humphrey and an allied member of the New York Stock Exchange for over twenty years. He mentored dozens of young producers over his fifty-six year career. He attributed his success to an unwavering commitment to honesty, thinking big, casting a unique vision, and then leaving no stone unturned to see that vision through no matter the obstacles.

In 1983 at the age of 40, Chip semi-retired to his beloved hometown of Pensacola to “raise his kids on the water.” He would forever refer to that first year in Pensacola as the greatest year of his life. Ever restless and optimistic, the following year he leveraged his thinking-big mentality once again and embarked on the adventure that would shape the rest of his and Susan’s lives. Despite no prior development experience, and cynics scoffing at the boldness of the plans, Chip and Sussan successfully developed Eden Condominiums on the shores of Perdido Key that was unlike any other destination ever built on the Gulf Coast in design, beauty, and strength. The final phase of the project was completed in 1992 and since then Eden has withstood direct hits from Category 4 and 5 hurricanes with only cosmetic damage - all per Chip’s original design. Reporters have called Eden “a marvel of planning and execution unlike anything else on the Gulf Coast.” Eden served as an oasis not only for Chip and his family, but many others who have made their traditions there, and will always serve as one of Chip’s lasting legacies.

Chip’s life endured massive swings of fortune, and he navigated these ups and downs with the utmost character and poise. He never lost confidence, nor sight of what was most important. He believed failures were our greatest teacher. Turning to the Bible when fortune was lost, he gave his life to Christ and developed a faith that was often used by God to encourage countless others when their times of trouble came.

Chip was a 47- year member of the Capital City Club where he found and enriched community for the rest of his life, and where his love of tennis began. Needing to channel his competitive spirit and athletic ability into something new, once he picked up a racket, he never put it down.

Chip’s most lasting legacy began at the age of 57, his first year of coaching Pee-Wee football at NYO. He was the head coach for the NYO “Irish” for 25 consecutive years. His Irish teams amassed a .689 winning percentage and won four championships. In total, he coached and mentored approximately 400 boys in not only football, but more importantly the game of life. Chip had an incredible gift to engage, encourage, and inspire the players, parents, and other coaches. On countless occasions, parents of Irish players would report remarkable growth in their boys after having played for the Irish. He had an incredible knack to instill a fresh confidence in all of his players. The Irish have become an institution at NYO, and a fraternity among those who played for Coach Traynor regardless of when they did so.

Chip was a long-time board member of the Florida State University Seminole Boosters.

Chip is survived by his daughter, Kelly Traynor Moulton (Fahz) of Pensacola, FL and their 3 children, Christopher, Meredith and Marshall; his daughter, Katie Traynor Wickstrum (Cliff) of Atlanta and their 3 children, William, Grace and Evelyn; and his son, Francis M. “Tray” Traynor IIl (Mamie) of Johns Creek, GA and their 3 children, Annabelle, Chip and Jack. He is also survived by his brother in law, Jack Hayes Worley Jr. (Elaine) of Coral Gables and Sanibel, FL and their 2 children, Meredith Worley Pidermann (Peter) and their sons Hayes and Merrick, and Diana Lee Worley of Clearwater, FL.

Services will be held on Wednesday, September 18th at Peachtree Road Methodist Church at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to NYO Sports in his honor by mailing a check to NYO at PO Box 420486 Atlanta, GA 30342 or donating online here.