IN MEMORIAM: Betty Jo Chase, 69;

Nurse’s Aide At Bassett Hospital

RICHFIELD SPRINGS – Betty Jo Chase, 69, a native of Florida who served for many years as a nurse’s aide at Bassett Hospital in Cooperstown, passed away following a brief illness Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26, 2019, at Bassett Medical Center in Cooperstown.

Born Jan. 29, 1950, in Milton, Fla., Betty was one of nine children of Clarence and Leona (Mack) Richardson. Raised in Santa Rosa County, Fla., she graduated from Milton High School and then attended nursing school in Pensacola.

For a time she was employed as a nurse’s aide at Santa Rosa Hospital as well as West Florida Hospital.

On Oct. 25, 1969, Betty married David Harry Chase, Sr., in a candlelight ceremony at the Olivet Baptist Church in Milton, Fla. They continued living in Florida and began raising a family. In 1983, they moved to Cooperstown, where David was born and raised. For 23, Betty served as a nurse’s aide at Bassett Hospital,  retiring in 2007.

In her leisure, Betty enjoyed books, reading and spending time with her family.

Betty is survived by her husband of 50 years, David H. Chase, Sr. of Richfield Springs; their children, David H. Chase, Jr. and Anoel Kelly of Cooperstown; two grandchildren, Amber Kelly and her partner, Dina, and Benjamin Kelly and wife, Sandra; and three great grandchildren, Jessamiah, Adelynn Sawyer and Rowen. She is further survived by a sister, Wanda Irizarry and husband, Alex, of Pensacola, Florida; a brother, Oscar Richardson and wife, Carol of Fairhope, Alabama; a sister-in-law, Ellen Eisinger Richardson and a brother-in-law, Richard Brimble, both of Milton, Florida; David’s siblings, James E. Chase and wife, Edna of Fly Creek, Beverly Anton and husband, William of Venice, Florida, and Mary Richardson of Milton, Florida; and many, many nieces and nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by both of her parents, brothers, David Scott Richardson, W.C. (Nadine) Richardson and V.L. “Bobby” Richardson, and sisters Dora Francis Brimble, Jewel (Joe) Raffaelle and Carolyn Sue (LaVon) Wright.

Family and friends are invited to call and pay their respects at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home, 82 Chestnut Street, Cooperstown, from 4-6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019.

Following the visitation, a funeral service will be offered at 6 p.m. at the funeral home with the Rev. Joseph Perdue, pastor of the First Baptist Church of Cooperstown, officiating.

As an alternative to flowers, expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial gifts may be made to the Scleroderma Foundation (scleroderma.org) and the American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org).

Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.