Chance J Volp

Chance Joseph Volp, 22, of Woodbury MN, passed away peacefully on September 9th after suffering a catastrophic brain injury. He was loved by more people than he knew and had so many rooting for him. His interests were many and he became an expert in everything he tried (as he would quickly tell you).

He was handsome and athletic and wrestled in high school after playing baseball & football as a kid. He joined a gym to learn how to box and took a shot at Taekwondo. Chance loved skateboarding, airsoft, dog “training”, fishing and bow hunting. At 16, social media influencing was his goal after creating a couple of YouTube channels where he would wander around our house talking about fishing and unboxing his latest lures.

He was an absolute character who loved to share his passions. Some of our most cherished memories of Chance revolved around his innocence and tender heart. He would watch the same movies repeatedly and laugh at the same scenes each time. He was fiercely loyal and protective of his younger siblings, causing mayhem on multiple occasions when he thought they might be in danger. He played countless games of Uno with his grandma Volp, winning most. He loved his times on the lake catching fish with his grandpa Volp or uncle Jon and cousins Joe and Jack. He took his gingerbread house competitions very seriously every Christmas. The year he and his brother were in the same school, they proudly wrapped their arms around each other and posed for the picture like two old buddies. They repeated that pose several years later during a hunting trip together.

The other side of Chance’s life was not easy. Born in Cook County, IL, he was the victim of many circumstances out of his control. He was adopted at 18 months after an abusive and neglected first year followed by 6 months in emergency foster care. He never fully understood the damage done to him, but he did not want to hear about limits. Chance was not a fan of school, and he made every teacher, counselor and staff earn their paychecks.

As an adult, Chance found it difficult to manage his life. He struggled to accept help and didn’t like being told what to do. He spent periods in several group homes and eventually found himself on the streets of Minneapolis/St. Paul where life became increasingly difficult and dangerous. Last December, Chance was the victim of a gruesome attack at a homeless shelter and barely survived. We cherished the 6 weeks with him as he healed but were saddened when he chose to return to the streets. The bright spot during this time was the incredible love and support of our dear friends, Jill & Ryan O’Hara, who gave Chance a warm place to stay on cold nights, helped to get him a change of clothes, food, medicine or a phone (many phones) and worked tirelessly with county staff to ensure he had as many resources available to him as possible. Chance loved them as second parents and leaned on them heavily. We couldn’t be more grateful for their sacrifice and patience with him. His best childhood buddies were Andrew, Christian, Malachi and Adam O’Hara as they spent many hours in Jill’s van looking for any place to get out all their energy.

Despite the hardships and struggle, we take great comfort knowing that Chance is in Heaven, fully restored and rejoicing in the Glory of God. He is likely talking the ears off the angels and saints while trying to figure out how to put together new “merch” for his latest project. So many friends and family sacrificed to help Chance and we are forever grateful. His former teachers deserve big raises and the teams at HCMC and Regions took care of him so well during incredibly difficult times.

Our beloved son, brother, grandson, godson, nephew, cousin and friend Chance will always live in our hearts. He leaves us with many beautiful memories and great stories we’ll tell for years. Chance was extremely generous and following his passing donated his organs to several people that have new life today. Chance is survived by his parents Mary & Brian, brother Vincent, and sister Stella.

A visitation will be held on Thursday September 18th from 5:00-8:00pm at O’Halloran & Murphy Funeral home located at 8700 Valley Creek Rd, Woodbury, MN 55125.

The funeral will be held Friday September 19th at 11AM with viewing from 10:00-11am at Saint Ambrose Catholic Church located at 4125 Woodbury Drive, Woodbury MN 55129. A luncheon will follow Mass at the church. Burial is planned for Resurrection cemetery in Mendota Heights.

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