Fred Irvan Chase Jr.

Fred I. Chase, Jr., age 91 of Midland died Monday, February 14, 2011 at Sterling House. The son of the late Fred and Prudence (Miske) Chase, Fred was born on December 26, 1919, in Lansing, MI, and was raised and educated mainly in Lansing and Washington, DC. Among his fondest early childhood memories was marching in Civil War veterans' parades with his grandfather, M. D. Richardson, in the mid-1920s. He married the former Esther Althoff in McHenry, IL, in 1945. Esther predeceased him in 1975. Although Fred dreamed of a career in farming while he was growing up, he trained and graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering in 1939. During the war years, he worked producing rocket propellants, among other things, and after the war, worked for several chemical companies before joining the Dow Chemical Company in Midland in 1957, where he was a plant manager in herbicides until his retirement in 1984.

Fred was a lifetime member of the NRA and an avid hunter, outdoorsman, gun collector, and gunsmith. He enjoyed working on cars. Fred was a talented baseball player and coached in the Babe Ruth league for many years, and coached a Babe Ruth state all star team.


Fred is survived by his children: Fred Chase (Martha-Moran) of Ojai CA, David (Bobbi) Chase of Somerville, NJ, Daniel (Karen) Chase of Midland, Susan Mallory of Milan, MI, and Lisa (Kevin) Gower of La Grangeville, NY. He is also survived by 9grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren and his sister Elnora Crockett of Willis, MI.

Visitation will be at the Wilson MILLER Funeral Home Thursday, 2-4 and 6-8 P.M and Friday from 10 A.M. until time of service. A memorial service will be conducted Friday, February 18, 2011 at 11 A.M. at the funeral home. Interment will immediately follow at New Calvary Cemetery. Memorials may be offered to the Michigan United Conservation Clubs, National Stroke Association or to Mid Michigan Home Health Care.