Jonathan Chase

Jack B. Chase

Jonathan Balloch Jack Chase died peacefully at his home at Parks Methodist in Odessa, with family members at his side, on April 15, 2010. His family knew him as an optimistic and ebullient personality and as a loving husband, father, grandfather, and greatgrandfather. We will always be grateful for his love and support and for his example: he was open to change, to new ideas, and to the views of other people.

Earlier this year, Jack said to his family that he had had a good life. And he certainly enjoyed living. For most of his life, he was an expert fisherman, hunter the best wingshot most will ever meet, tennis player, and golfer. Later in life, he said that he preferred feeding his deer and birds to hunting them, and he did that every day. As a storyteller, he had no equal: he described his boyhood growing up in Bentonville, Arkansas, with vivid accounts of his parents Jonathan apple orchard, picking asparagus as thick as your thumb, playing tennis with his sister on the court their parents built for them, and teaching ducklings how to swim. He took his children, grandchildren, and greatgrand children all over the world with his Fairy Fuzzwuzz tales, and he could break up a party with what Nancy Chase called his funny stories.

One source of Jacks stories was his days at Texas AM. He was an Aggie through and through, and one of only two things he could play on the piano was the opening bars of the Aggie War Hymn.

After graduating from AM he worked in Kilgore and pursued the life of a bachelor, fishing, hunting with his bird dogs and learning to fly airplanes. There he met his love, Nancy Caroline Strang, of Long Beach, California, who was taking courses at Kilgore Junior College and staying with her father, Jacks field partner for the Federal Tender Board. Their marriage was a study in love, respect, and tenderness. Soon after they married, Jack served in the Army Air Corps during World War II. Coming home, he worked for the Tender Board, then for Monsanto Chemical Company, then as an independent landman.

He and Nancy brought up their family in Midland and, late in his career, Jack did land work for Shell all over Texas and in Michigan. These days were an adventure for Jack and Nancy, who traveled together much of this time. They grew to love Michigan and cherish friends they made there.

Jack and Nancy retired to a home on the lake in Brady, where he kept his boat and fishing gear in the water and fished whenever he wanted. His gear was stolen only once, and he said the loss was worth keeping his boat ready to go. His 66.5pound yellow cat still holds the record for Brady Lake.

In addition to his professional life, Jack gave much to his community. He was a member and president of the Midland Optimist Club, president of Ranchland Hills Country Club, and teacher of a Sunday school class at First Methodist Church in Midland. In Brady he served as president of the Simpson Lake Club.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Em and Jack Chase, his sister and brotherinlaw, Ann and Steve Stevens, and his wife of 66 years, Nancy Caroline.

He is survived by his children and their spouses, Jon Chase and his wife Mary Ann, June Chase Hankins and her husband Lamar, and Dahrl Chase McCain and her husband Ralph by his grandchildren, Caroline Chase, Jack Chase, Allen Chase, Dahrl Hankins, Keiva Weise, and Chase McCain.

Visitation will be held on Monday April 19, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home. Services will be at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, at Sunset Memorial Funeral Home Chapel with Terry Tamplin officiating.

Visitation

Sunset Memorial Funeral Home
6801 E. Business 20
Odessa, TX  79762
Monday, April 19, 2010
68 PM

Service

Funeral Service

Sunset Memorial Chapel
6801 E. Business 20
Odessa, TX  79762
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
2:00 PM

Cemetery

Sunset Memorial Gardens
6801 E. Business 20
Odessa, TX  79762