Theodore Holt Chase was born on November 24, 1931, in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Ruth Helene Holt Chase and Theodore Martin Chase. He and his younger brother, Robert, grew up together in Westwood and Springfield, Massachusetts. Ted was a graduate of Classical High School and then attended Yale University (Trumbull College) on a full academic scholarship. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics in 1953.

Upon graduation, Ted enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving a 16-month tour in Korea during the Korean War. He was honorably discharged with a field commission in December 1956. He then returned to the Yale School of Organizational Management to pursue an M.S. in Industrial Administration.

While working at Connecticut General Life Insurance in New Haven, Ted met Barbara Van Vleck. They married in May 1962 and moved shortly after to Poughkeepsie, NY, where Ted began his long career with IBM Corporation. In 1969, with three young children in tow, they settled in Golden's Bridge, New York.

Ted left a lasting mark on Golden's Bridge and the Town of Lewisboro in Westchester County through decades of civic engagement. He coached Little League baseball, youth basketball, and soccer; chaired the local United Way fund; served as Commissioner of the Golden's Bridge Fire Department; raised funds to build the original track at John Jay High School; and was both a member and Chairman of the Lewisboro Town Planning Board. He went on to serve four terms on the Lewisboro Town Board and was elected Deputy Supervisor in 1988, a position he held until his retirement in 1995. He cherished his role in Lewisboro, a community he loved deeply, and helped guide the town planning for responsible growth and development.

On weekends, he could often be found standing outside the post office, shaking hands and listening to the concerns of town residents. In 1996, the Lewisboro Chamber of Commerce named him Citizen of the Year. The local paper wrote: "Mr. Chase has served his town, making few headlines and seeking none, but doing a necessary, not very glamorous public job as his neighbors wanted it done... The result of all those years of service was the well-deserved respect and affection of the townspeople. Few public servants anywhere could leave a greater gap at their departure."

After retiring from IBM, Ted and Barbara moved to Chestertown, Maryland, where he continued his commitment to service. He served as Chair of the Washington College Parents Committee and Lifelong Learning Program, a member of the Chestertown Ethics Committee, Director of the Chestertown Lions Club, Chairman of the Magnolia Hall Board of Directors, and a member of the Chester River Health System Board and Chair of the Chester River Country Club Board. Barbara and Ted loved their years in Chestertown, where Ted could often be found on the golf course.

In 2017, the couple moved to the Glen Meadows Retirement Community in Glen Arm, Maryland. Ted immediately became active, joining the board of the Residents Association and quickly serving as its Chair. In his free time, he loved reading, following the many and varied activities of his beloved grandchildren, and watching the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens.

Ted greeted everyone with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. He offered "Big Hugs" to anyone who welcomed one and never forgot a face or a name. He loved golf, sailing, summers in New Hampshire and Maine, and lively political debates at the dinner table. He was a mentor to many, a role model to all, and a man of deep integrity, compassion, and quiet strength.

Once a friend of Ted's, always a friend. Family was everything to him. His younger brother Robert was not just a brother, but a lifelong best friend. He never took the easy road, always choosing what was right over what was convenient. His absence will be felt deeply by all who knew him.

Ted is survived by his wife of 63 years, Barbara "Bobbie" Van Vleck Chase; his three children: Eliza Chase Morton (Mark) of Centreville, Delaware; Theodore Van Vleck Chase (Katie) of Trumbull, Connecticut; and Susannah Chase Sutley (Stuart) of Stevenson, Maryland; his brother, Robert Carroll Chase of Springfield, Virginia; six grandchildren and four step-grandchildren.

A service to remember and celebrate Ted will be held at 11:00 am on September 13, 2025, at the Presbyterian Church of Chestertown in Chestertown, Maryland.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in honor of Ted Chase to Washington College (www.washcoll.edu/give) to support an annual dinner for business management students, continuing his legacy of civic engagement and leadership. Online gifts should indicate "Chase Dinner" under "Other" or select "In Honor of" and enter his name. Checks may be made payable to Washington College, with "In Honor of Ted Chase" in the memo line, and sent to Emily Kate Smith, Washington College, 300 Washington Avenue, Chestertown, MD 21620.