Charles James (Jim) Chase was born on April 19, 1935, in Peru, Indiana to Marjorie Hull Chase and Charles Cecil Chase, and passed away at Hospice of Laramie on October 20, 2021, of severe ITP (blood disorder).
Jim graduated from Laramie High School in 1953 where he excelled at sports winning the state title in the 440. He earned an Honor Scholarship to the University of Wyoming and graduated from UW in 1957 with a BS degree in mechanical engineering with an aero option. He entered the Air Force through UW’s AFROTC program. He earned an MS degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Tennessee in 1967.
After completing pilot training in 1959, Jim flew a variety of fighter jets for the next 10 years. In 1968, Jim was stationed in Vietnam where he flew a piper cub as a Forward Air Controller. In 1969, the family moved to Torrance, California, where he held a desk job at SAMSO (Space and Missile Systems Organization) until his retirement as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1978. Part of his responsibility involved the Atlas missile program for launching satellites.
In August 1978, the family moved back to Laramie where Jim worked as a mechanical engineer at Banner Associates. With his love of flying still intact, he became the company pilot for Banner and got to fly to various cities in Wyoming and South Dakota. He loved that part of the job. He retired from Banner in 1991. He continued to work as an engineering consultant for the next four years.
In 1982, the family built their dream home along the North Fork of the Laramie River in Centennial. Jim and Nancy enjoyed the peace and quiet, and the friends they made living in Centennial. They lived on the North Fork full time for some of those years in retirement where Jim delighted in volunteering at the Nici Self Historical Museum in Centennial, and snow-plowing the sub-division roads in the winter. In addition, he was the long-time treasurer of the North Fork Association.
Jim enjoyed cribbage, playing sports and attending sporting events with his sons, watching the Wyoming Cowboys football and basketball teams and Detroit Tigers, and working around the house in Centennial. He loved his family and friends and cherished every moment spent with them.
Jim is survived by his wife, Nancy Chase; his three beloved children, David (Toni) Chase of Casper, Daniel (Sue) Chase of Gilbert, Arizona and Jane Chase of Fort Collins, Colorado, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, infant daughter, Joanna, and daughter-in-law, Sue.
A memorial service with military honors is scheduled for June 11, 2022, at the United Presbyterian Church in Laramie. Memorial donations to Hospice of Laramie, 1754 Centennial Drive, Laramie, Wyoming, 82070, or the United Presbyterian Church, 215 S. 11th Street, Laramie, Wyoming, 82070, would be appreciated.
Nancy and family Our condolences to you in your loss of Jim. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Nancy & Family, my condolences. I feel fortunate to have been a passenger on Jim's flights, and also to have him work on a few projects with me. He was a incisive engineer, and a balanced and creative individual. I enjoyed hearing the stories of Greenland, and elsewhere. I always felt he was not appreciated enough at Banner, and I suspect that would have been true in the Air Force too. He has gone on no doubt to a better place.
Nancy and family - I really enjoyed my chats with Jim on the Wyoming history tours. He will be sorely missed. Kim Viner
Nancy and family, my sincere condolences. Jim was a special person.
So sorry for your loss. I always enjoyed Jim. I remember as a child visiting Nancy and listening to the tapes Jim would send home while he was serving with the US Air Force.