Edward Chase

Ed Chase always regarded his life as a blessing, and he lived each day to the fullest. He was a happy person, a jokester of sorts with a familiar smile and an eager laugh. His family was his greatest treasure, and he was the happiest in their warm company.

Following the end of the Second World War, thousands of young soldiers returned to their civilian lives back home. The economy flourished, and the Baby Boom was soon underway. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Edward E. Chase and his wife Elizabeth Meernik were among the many expecting parents. On July 25, 1948 they were blessed with the healthy birth of their son Edward J. Chase.

The second of six children, Ed grew up in Grand Rapids with company of his sisters, Joyce and Bonnie, and his brothers, Rick, Ron, and Randy. The family lived on Prospect S.W. and, later, Kenosha Street in the Southeast side of town. While their mother tended to the house and raised the children, their father worked as the weatherman for TV 8. Ed attended Brookside Elementary School, Burton Junior High School, and Grand Rapids Christian High School before enrolling at Grand Rapids East Christian High School, where he graduated with the Class of 1966. In his spare time and during the summers, Ed worked at his uncle’s hardware store.

In June of 1965 Ed was involved in a motorcycle accident. He was consequently paralyzed from the waist down. He was a determined young man, and after a period of recovery he returned to the hardware store to work part-time. His family belonged to 8th Reformed Church, and one day a fellow member asked Ed if he was interested in the dental lab business. Ed accepted the offer and went to work as an apprentice at Davis Dental Lab in Grand Rapids. After he learned the skills of the trade, he became a dental technician.

Ed never allowed his handicap to become a liability. He stayed busy with his friends, and he became active in various wheelchair sports, including basketball and bowling. On one fateful day in April of 1970, Ed was bowling with other wheelchair-bound men at Chase Lanes. A young lady named Pamela McCanless stopped by the alley with a friend. She waited in the car, unsure whether she wanted to go inside. Pam was a victim of polio; she was only able to walk with crutches. While she waited in the car, Ed arrived in his Buick Wildcat Convertible. He wheeled himself indoors, and Pam decided to follow him. This proved to be the first chapter of a wonderful relationship that lasted more than thirty-five years.

Pam and Ed often joked that they owed their relationship to his bright yellow car. They became fast friends, and they were married on September 10, 1971 at 8th Reformed Church. They settled into a mobile home in Sparta, where they lived for a few years before building their own house near Rockford. The finishing of the house became a family project: Ed and Pam worked alongside his brothers. Neither of them allowed their handicap to dictate their lifestyle. They were very active, participating in bowling, archery, and other sports. Ed was an original member of the Grand Rapids Pacers, a wheelchair basketball team.

Ed worked as a technician for Davis Dental Lab until 1975, when he and Pam followed a job offer to Fort Worth, Texas. For the next three years Ed worked as a supervisor at McKinny Dental Lab. He then founded Chase Dental Lab, which he owned and operated. He sold the business in 1992 and began working for the new owner. In 1995, he and Pam agreed to return to Michigan: they wanted to be closer to their family. They purchased a home on Lake Michigan Dr. N.W., and Ed went back to work at Davis Dental Lab.

Throughout his life Ed was a very independent person. His handicap never deterred him from doing the things that he wanted to do. As Pam remembers, “We were able to do everything.” Holiday gatherings were always at Ed and Pam’s house. Ed would plan games from the kids and participate right alongside them. He and Pam enjoyed spending their Saturdays in Grand Haven where they would walk—or wheel—the pier. Riverside Park was one of their favorite places to visit: it was the place where Ed proposed, so many years ago.

Ed was known for his sense of humor. He loved to laugh and smile, to share his happiness with the many people he loved. His humor helped him deal with his disability, and his family understood this and responded in turn. The Christmas after Ed’s legs were amputated, his mother gave him socks and his brother gave him “McDonald’s” shoes. Everyone got quite the charge out of it, especially Ed.

In February 0f 2007 Ed was diagnosed with bladder cancer. Despite his prognosis he remained as optimistic and enthusiastic as ever. He traveled to Texas to visit friends and went on a four-day cruise with Pam.

Ed was an inspiration to everyone who knew him. His life was a celebration, and through his own example he taught others to cherish every moment. Among the many people who loved him, Ed will be greatly missed and frequently remembered.

Ed died at his home on Wednesday afternoon, September 12, 2007. He was preceded in death by his father Edward Chase and his brother Rick Chase. He is survived by his wife Pamela Chase; his mother, Elizabeth Chase; sisters and brothers, Joyce (Martin) DeVries, Bonnie (Todd) Hendricks, Ron Chase, Randy Chase; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Arvin and Beth McCanless; several nieces, nephews and many friends. Cremation has taken place. A service to celebrate Ed’s life will be held on Saturday at 12:00 noon at Heritage Life Story Funeral home – Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel – 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW. Friends and relatives are invited to meet his family at the funeral chapel on Saturday from 10:00 AM until the service begins. Contributions in his memory may be made to Hospice of Michigan. Please visit Ed’s personal website at www.lifestorynet.com where you may sign the guestbook or archive a favorite memory.