On Nov. 29, our beloved father climbed the “golden stairs” for the last time, passing away at 82 years young. A lifelong resident of Bristol, Dad faithfully read The Lincoln County News every week, starting with the obituaries and then the court news, to ensure he was in neither. He made us promise that his obituary, when the inevitable time came, would be neither sad nor boring. Here goes, Dad.
Leverett Dewey Chase, was born on Dec. 29, 1941, to Reuben and Ida Chase. He grew up adoring his parents, his younger (but always taller) brother, Ted, and a close knit “family” of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, and friends. His childhood passion was baseball, but unfortunately, a severe eye disorder cut his “promising” career short. In order to save his vision, he went to Boston Children’s Hospital for a surgery that could have rendered him blind. Knowing the risk, our grandfather wrote a letter to Ted Williams, the famed Boston Red Sox player and Dad’s idol, asking for a signed baseball to give his son as a good luck charm for the upcoming surgery. Ted Williams responded, inviting him to Fenway Park for a tour and to meet in person. They spent four hours together. The eye surgery was successful, and Dad left Boston with a new friend and outlook on life, both literally and figuratively.
Able to now see properly, Dad attended Bristol Consolidated School and developed an enduring love of reading. He enjoyed books about Maine, its history, traditions, people, and humor. Throughout his life, he loved telling people about the state he so cherished, regaling them with the most obscure facts. (Did you know Strong, Maine (population 1,100) used to be the toothpick capital of the world, producing over 75 billion a year?) Dad was also creative and particularly skilled at building things, as long as they did not need to be level or waterproof. He always had a job as a teenager, found work rewarding and had entrepreneurial ambitions from a young age.
After high school, Dad enrolled in the University of Maine at Orono. He attended classes occasionally but never missed a party at his fraternity, Sigma Chi. He was close to his fraternity brothers, especially Don “Duck” McBeth and Phil Morse. It was a lifelong brotherhood, proving that to be family, DNA is not required. At one of Sigma Chi’s parties, he met Beatrice Hodgdon, who was visiting from Colby College. Dad knew right away that she was the one. However, he also knew she was “wicked smaht,” so he stopped partying (as much) and got serious about his studies.
After graduation, Dewey and Bea married and moved to Springfield, Mass., as Dad was accepted into the prestigious Sears, Roebuck and Co. management training program. While there they became neighbors and friends, with another newlywed couple, Bill and Marsha Mazeine. They were lifelong friends and eventually became neighbors again 40 years later.
After completing the program, Mom and Dad returned to Maine to raise their family, which included three children: Jefferson, Jennifer, and Jessica. J, E, double consonant was a clever mnemonic device our father devised so he could easily remember our names. They eventually moved to Pemaquid Point and started a business; a retail concept they called The Driftwood Shop. The store featured the goods of Maine artisans and writers who had no real means in which to sell their products. Dad also sold his own creations, including a wooden lobster trap table that he invented. The store was popular with locals and summer tourists alike. They expanded into multiple locations and started a popular catalog business. Running the business was a family affair and they definitely broke a few child labor laws along the way.
After 20 years, Mom and Dad received an offer to buy the business they could not refuse. Too young to retire, they started another business, L. Dewey Chase Real Estate. With Dad’s local connections, it quickly became the premier real estate and rental company in the area. Dad loved welcoming new residents to the Pemaquid peninsula and took great pride in finding the perfect home for his clients, many who became close and treasured friends. It was during this time that they expanded our family, with the addition of Sheila McLain, who worked for them, albeit Dad would say that it was the other way around. My parents considered Sheila their fourth (and deservedly favorite) child.
While work and family life kept him busy, Dad felt it was important to give back, inspired by the generosity Ted Williams showed him as a child. He served as a town selectman and harbormaster, volunteered with numerous civic organizations, and was an active alumnus of the University of Maine. Dad would always assist someone who had fallen on hard times, was sick, or just needed some companionship. He also felt it was important to be active in Maine politics. While he held his own beliefs, he considered those with opposing views to be fundamentally decent and well intentioned, just temporarily misguided. Later in life, he rejected traditional political partisanship and likened himself a libertarian, influenced by his beloved son-in-law, Laurent.
While neither of our parents ever officially retired, they did eventually grow tired of the cold Maine winters. One day, on a sailing adventure in the Bahamas, they discovered Treasure Cay on the island of Abaco. Dad said it reminded him of Maine, just with palm trees instead of pine trees. They purchased a villa and it became their beloved winter home for 30 years. Dad spent his days golfing, fishing, making colorful crafts, going to the beach, and taking afternoon naps, or “kinks,” as he liked to call them. He befriended many of the local Bahamians, who nicknamed him the “King,” a fitting title and one Dad quite enjoyed. He loved to entertain and even built his own outdoor bar at their house. The Mating Fish Bar was infamous in Treasure Cay, as was Dewey’s signature cocktail, the Goombay Smash.
It was during this time that Dad realized his greatest achievement, becoming a grandfather. Grampa Dew was just adored by his four grandchildren: Luly, Bea, Rocco, and Max. They loved his colorful attire, crazy socks, funny sayings, and house filled with curiosities. Sleepovers at Nana Bea and Grampa Dew’s house always included lots of treats, no defined bedtime, and a stay in the infamous Ted Williams room – their guestroom that Dad decorated with all his baseball memorabilia.
Just after our parent’s 57th wedding anniversary in 2021, our mother was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer. Dad had been experiencing dementia symptoms for a couple of years, which was exasperated by our mother’s declining health. When our mother passed away, we placed Dad at Avita of Brunswick, where he would live until his passing. Dementia is a cruel disease. However, as Dad requested that his obituary not be sad, we offer the following twist in perspective. While dementia robbed him of his short-term memory, his long-term memory was fully intact. Dad was blessed with a truly happy and rewarding life, one that he literally relived every day. His days at Avita were spent “reminiscing” about his life, which included meeting Ted Williams as if it had just happened. He also never knew the pain of losing our mother, because he did not remember that she had passed. (If only we could all be so lucky.)
Our family would like to thank Avita for the loving care and support they provided Dad during the last years of his life. The people who work in dementia care are truly the better angels in our society. We would also like to thank Suzy Gastaldo, who assisted with additional care and companionship. Suzy visited Dad several times a week throughout his time at Avita. He developed a special bond with her that was clearly comforting and brought him joy.
Through the years, our parents supported various educational initiatives for the children of Treasure Cay and neighboring islands. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Abaco Children’s Art Fund (gofundme.com/f/abaco-childrens-art-fund). The fund supports the volunteer art program for the school children of Green Turtle Cay.
As Dad requested, we will be holding a lobster bake next summer to celebrate his life.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home, 612 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences, and messages for his family, may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
