Thomas C. Chace

June 2, 1927 – March 23, 2009

Thomas C. Chace, truly a Renaissance man, passed away in Sisters, Oregon, on March 23, 2009. Born on June 2, 1927, in Evanston, Illinois, Tom graduated from New Trier Township High School, Northfield, Illinois. While there, he played on the varsity basketball team and was an active member of TriShip, a school and community service organization for boys.

Tom graduated from Cornell University in New York in 1949 with a BS degree in Engineering. While at the University, he was on the rowing team. Later he did postgraduate work at Northwestern University and was a member of the Chi Psi fraternity. In 1944, during World War II, Tom joined the U.S. Navy and was honorably discharged in August, 1945. In 1952, he moved to Santa Barbara, California where he helped put television station KEYT on the air. In 1956, he founded The Chace Company advertising agency. His successful and innovative career in advertising included campaigns for clients such as Sambo’s Restaurants, Motel 6, and Jordano’s grocery stores.

In Santa Barbara, Tom was a board member of the Santa Barbara Unified School District. He also served on the board of Santa Barbara New House, Inc., a non-profit alcohol and drug recovery home for men. He served as well, on the boards of the Cancer Foundation and the Rehabilitation Institute, and for many years he was on The Vestry at All Saints By-the-Sea Episcopal Church in Montecito, California. In Sisters, Tom was a Vestry member at the Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration and he also served on the Jazz Festival Board.

An avid sportsman, Tom loved to fish and play golf. He loved children and was an umpire in Little League in Sisters. Tom was also a very creative writer who loved to tell a story in many different ways. He wrote three books: Am I? Am I Not? An Alcoholic, published in 1999; Bright Moon at Mid-Day, the exciting story of Bill Miller and his family at the end of the 19th century in Alaska, published in 2003; and Murder Four, a novel of divorce, devious attorneys, and revenge, published in 2004. Tom also wrote for, and was extensively published in, newspapers, periodicals, and other forms of graphic communications throughout the United States. Tom received the ‘Best Fiction Writing’ award two years running at Barnaby Conrad’s writing conference in Santa Barbara for excerpts from Bright Moon at Mid-Day. The Bend Bulletin newspaper published Tom’s very popular series on Travel based on his many trips and also awarded him first place in its writing contest

Tom approached every endeavor with enthusiasm and dedication. He offered creative solutions to problems presented to him. He loved music of all kinds and taught many others to love music as well.

Tom was an accomplished expressionist painter in acrylics. Fully engrossed in each work, he painted quickly, with color and great emotion. His friends loved to watch him work because he was so obviously enjoying himself.

He taught in the adult education programs both in Santa Barbara and in Sisters. In Sisters his topics included computer usage and creative writing. He was a dedicated Smart Reader in The Sisters Elementary School program. In Santa Barbara, Tom taught several well attended courses on the Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.

Tom is survived by Meredith McKittrick; his children, Randy Soderberg-Chase, Linda Chase, Camilla Bantum and Robert Chace; 10 grandchildren; his former wife, Nancy Chase; and Miss Daisy, his beloved golden Labrador. Tom will be lovingly missed by the many people who knew him, and his numerous contributions to Santa Barbara and Sisters will live on forever.

A memorial service will be held, Saturday, March 28, 2 p.m. at Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration, 68825 Brooks Camp Road, Sisters. Autumn Funerals – Redmond is assisting the family. 541-504-9485.

Thomas C. Chace