Nelson L. Groh, Jr.

Nelson L. Groh, Jr. (Chip) passed away peacefully Sunday, July 13 at Casey House in Rockville, MD after a brave battle with cancer.  He was born September 13, 1964 in Washington, D.C. to Nelson L. Groh and the late Suzanne Torrance Groh.  Chip was a lover of life and he enthusiastically pursued many and varied interests throughout his life.  He was an Eagle Scout, and while at the University of Richmond, he was an active member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. Chip enjoyed caving, white water canoeing, going to a wide variety of concerts, and riding his Harleys every chance he could.  He loved entertaining at his home; his Halloween decorations were epic, as were his Halloween and Christmas parties.  The life of every party, with a huge presence that matched his huge grin, he was widely known and deeply loved.  He literally could not travel anywhere without someone saying, “Chip, is that you?”.   He worked for 34 years at the National Institutes of Health, first in the field of grants management, and then in Information Technology as an IT Officer and as a Release Manager for electronic Research Administration (eRA) where he managed many complicated software deployments, usually during the wee hours of the morning. Throughout his service at NIH he was known for his knowledge and dedication to the mission, but most of all for his humor, kindness, and ability to find a friend in everyone he met.  He was also the chairman of the unofficial eRA Social Committee, which organized multiple social gatherings on a regular basis for several years. Wherever he worked, he brought along an enjoyment for life, even at 3:00AM. Survivors include his father, Nelson L. Groh, (Sally) of New Kent, VA, his brother, Russ Groh (Martha) of Canaan, VT, niece Mackenzie Groh (Sarah) of St. Louis, MO, his girlfriend, Caitlin Fisher of Gaithersburg, MD, special family friends Irene and Anna Haas of Clarksville, MD, as well as numerous uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends.  While interment and a family Celebration of Life will be private, a public commemoration for Chip’s legions of friends will be held at the Outta the Way Café Rabbit Hole at 17503 Redland Rd, Derwood, MD 20855 August 9, 2025 from 5:00-9:30 pm.  This celebration will raise funds in Chip’s name for the Casey House Montgomery Hospice in Rockville, MD. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can also be made in his Chip’s name directly to the Casey House Montgomery Hospice at http://montgomeryhospice.org/donate-now/

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