Chase Esponge
March 15, 1965 – May 23, 2013
On May 23, 2013, I received a call from Chase at 11:30 a.m. in reference to making our annual restaurant reservations for May 27, 2013, our 30th wedding anniversary dinner and the list of family and friends that would join us. Chase and our son were working together on a job that day which was rare. My son called me at 12:15 pm to notify me that Chase passed out and was not responding. At 1:00 p.m. the devastating call came from our son to tell me Chase did not make it. He passed away four days shy of our 30th wedding anniversary. He was actually buried on our anniversary day, May 27, 2013 which completed the circle of our life together.
Chase passed away at the early age of 48 years old of a massive heart attack without any symptoms.
Chase was the first born of 5 children, two boys and three girls to a very loving young couple. He was very handsome, tall, and a man with a heart of gold. Chase was very devoted to all his family as well as extended family. He was a person you could always count on. He wasn’t only my husband and father of our son, he was my best friend.
We married at the age of eighteen two days after high school graduation. We started our family early and Chase had one son whom he loved dearly. In fact there was no one he was more proud of than his son. It was just minutes before his heart attack he was bragging about his son to the men on the job they were working on together. His son’s birth, son’s college graduation day and son’s wedding day were emotional for Chase. The day his son married his love was the day Chase said he finally had a daughter and was excited to have grandchildren. He cried when he saw her walk into the room in her wedding dress. His son says, "Chase was a very special, caring and loving father. He was always there for me, from the beginning since the second I was born. He showed me how to fish, hunt, and how to become a loving person. If I could just be ½ the man and father that he was I will be okay”.
Chase’s dream was to own his own trucking company one day. His dream came true and he was the owner/operator for 17 years. He loved his job but it did consume most of his time.
Chase didn’t make enough time for his favorite hobbies which were fishing and hunting. He did find time for traveling, cruises and sharing time with family and friends.
His favorite celebration was the annual family Halloween party. He loved these huge parties that he gave for family and friends for 14 years. It all started with 50 family and friends the first party and grew to 220 family and friends soon afterwards. Most called the party a family reunion. With Chase family and friends were all treated as family.
Chase’s love for the New Orleans Saints, even though his presence at the dome did them no justice, was grand. He went to a few saints’ games and they lost every game. He kept them winning by watching the game in his favorite chair at home yelling, screaming, and applauding them through the television.
The most caring person that affected so many lives while here on earth has done the same for strangers at his time of leaving this earth and going to paradise in heaven with God. God has blessed us all with Chase in our lives.
Chase will forever be in our hearts.
I would like to thank the recipients for their stories. It is comforting to know that he is still helping others after he is gone. He lives on!
God Bless You
