William Oliver Chase

William “Bill” Oliver Chase passed away January 28, 2024.  He was 83 years old.

He was born in Waterville, ME on February 9, 1940 to the late Kenneth L. Chase, Sr. and the late Annette B. Oliver Chase.  He grew up in Maine with his siblings, the late Kenneth Chase, Karen (John) Ayotte, Cynthia Chase, Penny Smith, and Trudi (Victoria) Chase.  He shared a special kinship with his brother-in-law, the late Robert Smith.

Bill met his first wife, Marilyn Ruth Silva, during a street dance in their senior year of high school. They shared memories of prom and graduation, went to the same college, and were married for twenty-three years.  They have three children, Leslie Bell, Charles (Mary Ann) Chase and Julie (Ronnie) Taylor.  They settled in Cheverly, MD and raised their children together.

Bill met his second wife, Mary Ann Comeau Naylor at a Knights of Columbus dance and married in 1989.  With her, he shared four step-children, Steven (Donna) Naylor, James Naylor, Jr., Robin Sprecher and John (Laura) Naylor.  They have lived in Riva, MD; North East, MD; and Pasadena, MD.

He leaves behind numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, and nephews with whom he loved dearly.

Bill spent his childhood summers working on the Hope Farm in Skowhegan, ME. This was the Chase family farm.  He was an avid model ship builder, and his sisters remember one room was dedicated in the Waterville home just for his model making. He grew up in Winslow, ME; Skowhegan, ME; and Waterville, ME. Bill went to the University of Maine in Orono, ME where he was a cross country snowshoe athlete.  During summers at college, he worked in the logging industry and painted bridges.

After graduating from college, he moved to Maryland to pursue his career with the National Security Agency (NSA) in Ft. Meade, MD. He retired after thirty+ years of service. He was a lifelong member of Toastmasters and a devoted Knights of Columbus (KoC) brother. As a Fourth Degree Knight, Bill held the offices of Recording Secretary and Trustee with Council #2427 – Bishop Becker in North East, MD and later was a member of Council #10881 - OLC in Pasadena, MD. He was also an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion and volunteered with the Veterans of Foreign Wars.  He selflessly donated to many worthy causes throughout his life.

Bill’s love of Maine was strong his whole life and he settled in Lewiston, ME during the final months of his life.  He often said; “You can take Bill out of Maine but not the Maine out of Bill”.

He had many hobbies including military history, military aircraft, bagpipe music and swing music.  His children remember Bill and their Mom dancing in the living room quite often to the library of records he collected.  Bill spent many years attending NASCAR races and was a devout fan of the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox.  He was a CB and amateur radio enthusiast.  Bill was a true patriot and loved his country.  He loved to travel and spent many years enjoying camping and RV traveling, including a trek to and from Alaska, across the United States and back, many trips to Maine, Florida, and Maryland beaches.

Bill spent his last years keeping fit by walking on 5K trails at least three times per week in addition to taking his beloved cockapoos, Katie and Gracie, on one mile walks every day.

Bill had a unique sense of humor and kept his family and friends on their toes with his infamous one-liners.  His most famous Dad-ism - when asked how he was doing, he always replied with: “I’m doing so good I can hardly stand it, that’s why I’m sitting down”.

The most important thing to Bill was family, and he was surrounded in death by his four sisters and three children.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his honor to the American Heart Association, American Stroke Association, American Red Cross, or Catholic Charities.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 23, 2024 from 4:00 pm until 6:00 pm at Crouch Funeral Home, P.A., 127 South Main Street, North East, MD.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Saturday, February 24, 2024 at 11:00 am at St. Jude's Roman Catholic Church, 928 Turkey Point Road, North East, MD.

Interment will follow in Immaculate Conception Cemetery, Elkton, MD.