Obituary of Gene R. Chase

Gene R. Chase passed January 2, 2017. He was born September 6, 1924 in Casper, WY to Gaylord and Katharine Chase. In 1930 the family moved to Scottsbluff, NE. His early love of aviation began with building model airplanes. At the age of thirteen, he had his first airplane ride and made a decision that day he was going to be a pilot. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy at the age of nineteen, where he served in WWII as a carrier pilot. After the war ended, Gene returned to college where he met Dorothy Meyer. They were married the following year in 1946. Together they had four daughters, and celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary on August 15, 2016. Gene continued his love of aviation throughout his life. He was active in the Naval Reserve, flying jet fighters one weekend a month and earning his rank of Lt. Commander. His civilian aviation career included corporate, flight and ground instruction, charter, and cloud seeding (converting hail to rain). Hundreds of people have Gene Chase to credit with their first airplane ride. He was proud of having flown 353 types of airplanes including the Goodyear blimp, and logging 7,722 hours of flight, over 68 years. He had a passionate interest in vintage aircraft. Gene owned and restored a 1935 Taylor E-2 Cub, a 1933 Davis D-1-W, and a 1929 Church Midwing. In later years he became involved with building RC model airplanes. His engineering career began in Scottsbluff, NE designing heating systems for a natural gas company. The family moved to Tulsa, OK in 1958 where he began working in the oil industry performing engineering duties, followed by several years as a computer analyst. In 1973 he accepted a position in Public Relations at Experimental Aircraft Association Headquarters in Wisconsin. Over the next 14 years he held many positions with EAA, retiring in 1987. He held the title of Director Emeritus, and in 1999 Gene was inducted into the EAA/Vintage Aircraft Association Hall of Fame. Throughout his retirement he enjoyed participating and volunteering in numerous events hosted by EAA before moving back to Tulsa in 2011. He also had a life-long love of music, becoming an accomplished flute and piccolo musician. He played in various groups beginning with his high school band, continuing on with local orchestras and concert bands in the cities where his family lived. He also enjoyed fishing, hunting, photography and socializing with his many friends. Gene was well respected and extremely loyal. He was a kind and patient man who will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his wife of 70 years, Dorothy; his daughter Peggy Allan; his son-in-law Tom Williams; his parents; and his sisters Gay and Shirley. Gene is survived by daughters Cathy Williams and Linda Fiddler (Bill) of Tulsa; daughter Susan Kay of Mt. Shasta, CA; son-in-law Scotty Allan; 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at University Village Stovall Theatre on Jan. 7, 2017 at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in his memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, 2448 E. 81st Street, Suite 3000, Tulsa, OK 74137.