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Quintessential “American in Paris”

William Korahais ’87

March 21, 2026, in Paris, France, after a courageous year-long battle with cancer, surrounded by his loved ones.

William Anthony Korahais, known as “Chip,” was born in 1965 in Manhattan and spent his early childhood in and near the New York metropolitan area. In 1983, he left for the West Coast to attend Reed, where one of his favorite activities was serving as the station manager for the college’s local radio station. 

Chip wrote his thesis, “An Analysis of the Random Walk Hypothesis in the Presence of Program Trading,” under Professor Arthur Leigh [economics 1945–88]. After earning his degree, Chip returned to New York to start a career in commodities trading in 1988. He also worked as a natural gas futures trader on the New York Mercantile Exchange, and later as a member of the Kansas City Board of Trade. 

In 2003, Chip decided to pursue a law degree at Fordham University, studying part-time in the evenings and weekends. Upon retiring from a successful career in commodities trading, he started a second career as an attorney for a local real estate investment firm.

Chip fell for Sophie Loiodice in the summer of 2003 in the Hamptons on eastern Long Island, New York, and they wed in 2009. Thereafter, Chip and Sophie built a new life together in Paris, where their two daughters, Elena and Emily, were born in 2010 and 2014, respectively.

The quintessential “American in Paris,” Chip relished preparing Thanksgiving turkey dinners for friends and leading Halloween celebrations at his daughters’ schools. Yet he and his family never missed a summer vacation on Long Island, returning every July to Hampton Bays, where he spent his childhood summers. 

Chip had a deep love of the ocean, where he could indulge in his two passions, fishing and music. For him, there was no better day than grilling his freshly caught sea bass while listening to Bruce Springsteen on the back patio after a full day of water skiing and spending time with family and friends.

Chip is survived by his wife, Sophie, and daughters, Elena and Emily.

Appeared in Reed magazine: Fall 2026

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