Richard Edwin Chandler, Jr.

Rich was born on July 8, 1956, in Galion, Ohio to Richard Edwin “Ed” Chandler, Sr. and Betty Newland Chandler. Rich participated in Boy Scouts, sports, and spent time with his large family in North Central Ohio. In high school, Rich held many sports records in track and football. He was inducted into the Galion High School Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010. Rich earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio.

Rich attended law school at Loyola University of New Orleans, Louisiana, where he met the love of his life, Isabel Lopez. Rich and Isabel were married on August 22,1979, at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church in New Orleans. Rich and Isabel found their forever home in Houston, where he started his professional career and expanded his family.

Rich’s impressive professional career started as a Tax Attorney for the IMCO Services division of Halliburton Company and was later the Regional Counsel to Halliburton’s Latin America oilfield services. Rich served as General Counsel and executive management roles at M-I Drilling Fluids; Fortune 500 companies – Smith International, Inc. (NYSE: SII), Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (NYSE: CBI) – and Sterling Infrastructure, Inc. During his career, he served as Chair of the International Law Section of the State Bar of Texas (1995-1996), council member for many years on the State Bar’s Corporate Counsel division and was nominated twice for Houston Bar Association’s General Counsel of the Year. He spoke at many legal conventions and was member of the planning committee for several continuing legal education programs sponsored by the University of Houston, School of Law. Additionally, Rich served as a guest lecturer of corporate governance, legal compliance, and international business transactions at the C.T. Bauer School of Business at the University of Houston. Rich finished his career as a legal Consultant at Morae Global. His professional experience of over 40 years led him to be an expert in the area of mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and compliance, corporate securities and international business matters, and allowed him to travel the world extensively and transact business in over 35 countries.

Rich served in many philanthropic efforts during his life – he was very involved in his former church, St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Katy, Texas. Rich served in various roles at church – CCE teacher, bazaar chair, Pastoral Council, Finance Council, Lector and Eucharist Minister. Rich served on many volunteer board organizations such as Society of the Performing Arts of Houston, Catholic Charities of Houston, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and most recently as the Advisory Board Chair for the Catholic Charities’ Mamie George Community Center in Fort Bend county. Rich also started an endowment fund at Loyola University of New Orleans, The Rich and Isabel Chandler Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Although Rich was successful in his profession and his community, he would consider his greatest success his family. He loved to spend time with his four children and grandchildren, as well as the many friends and loved ones that were in his life. To know Rich was to love him; Rich loved fiercely, was a mentor to many and enjoyed engaging in intellectual conversations. He was a leader in his family and his community, was generous in heart and need, and respected by all he met. Rich was a self-proclaimed sommelier, a memory maker, and a dear friend. He was a colossus of a man that will be missed tremendously.

Rich was preceded in death by his parents, Ed and Betty Chandler and his father-in-law, Nick Lopez.

Rich is survived by his wife of 46 years, Isabel Cristina Chandler; his children, Audrey (David) Persch of Houston, TX; Erin (Jason) Linton of Sugar Land, TX; Adam Chandler of Austin, TX; and Natalie Chandler of Boston, MA; his grandchildren, Lucas, Andrew, and Maddy Linton, and Gillian Persch; his sister, Valerie (Abe) Martinez of Katy, TX, and his mother-in-law, Cristina Lopez of Houston, TX; as well as many beloved family and friends across the globe.

Funeral services include a rosary service and on Thursday, January 29, from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm at Earthman Bellaire Funeral Home, 4525 Bissonnet Rd, Houston, TX and a Funeral Mass on Friday, January 30, at 10:00 am at St. Vincent De Paul Catholic Church, 6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, TX. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Rich’s name to Catholic Charities’ Mamie George Community Center in Fort Bend County.

The family would like to extend their sincerest gratitude to Dr. Shubham Pant at MD Anderson Cancer Center and his entire staff, and the staff at Houston Hospice for their expertise and compassion for Rich’s care during his life and death.