Necrology

R. Frederick Chase '59

Jul. 19, 1938-Aug. 17, 2023

R. Frederick Chase ’59 died on Aug. 17, 2023, at his home in Defreestville, N.Y. Born in Lansingburgh, N.Y., on July 19, 1938, Fred came to Hamilton from Lansingburgh High School, having grown up in the nearby town of Melrose. On the Hill, he was a member of the Squires Club and majored in political science. He also performed with the band and was on the staff of The Spectator.

Over Thanksgiving in his senior year he became engaged to Evelyn Reed, then a student at Oneonta State Teachers College, whom he had known since childhood. They were married on Aug. 1, 1960, and would have two daughters. By then Fred was attending Albany Law School. After earning his LLB and becoming a member of the New York Bar in 1962, Fred served as a clerk with Judge Conrad Lang. He later joined the practice of his father, H. Irving Chase ’32, P’59. Troy would become his base of operations; Defreestville was to be his home.

His practice had several components. In addition to serving individual clients, he was attorney for the town of North Greenbush and also for the Federal Land Bank of Springfield. In 1970, he was appointed attorney for the First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Troy. Three years later, he joined its board of directors. His obituary published in the Albany Times Union asserted “he was a staple of the Rensselaer County Court System.”

A diehard fan of the New York Giants before they departed for California, and of the New York Yankees, Fred was also devoted to the music of Neil Diamond. He loved watching and feeding birds, and was an enthusiastic ham radio operator with contacts around the globe, a hobby that later expanded to include CB radio communication. 

A man noted for his quick wit, ready sense of humor, and intelligence, R. Frederick Chase was predeceased by his wife and is survived by his two daughters and two grandchildren.

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