Gary E. Lt. Col. Chesser

Gary was born in Winslow, Indiana, on March 9th, 1941 and spent most of his youth in Evansville, Indiana., graduating from Central High School in 1959. He served in the US Air Force from 1960 to 1967 and was a Vietnam veteran. In 1969 he graduated from the University of Evansville and worked as a Counselor with the Southwest Mental Health Center and as a juvenile probation officer for the family court system. He returned to active duty with the US Army in 1973 and served as Commander of the 583rd Medical Company and 31st Ambulance Train in Landstuhl, Germany.

From 1974 to 1976 he was OIC of CDAAC and a community social worker in Darmstadt, Germany. He was also a Commander of a medical company in Redstone Aresnal, Alabama from 1976 to 1978. After attending the advanced course in 1978, he was assigned as Commander of HQ and A Company of the 47th Medical Battalion in Nuremberg, Germany where he served until December 1980. He then assumed the duties of Executive Officer of the 769th Medical Detachment Dental Service in Augsburg. Upon returning to the states in 1982, Col. Chesser participated in the Combined Arms and Services Staff School at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and then was an instructor in the Military Sciences Division of the Academy of Health Sciences at Fort Sam Houston until 1984. After a tour to Heidelberg, Germany from 1984-1987 where he was Commander of the 2nd Medical Detachment 7th Medical Command, he was selected to attend Command and General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth.

Upon completion of CGSC in 1988, he served as Dental Readiness Staff Officer in the Office of The Surgeon General in Washington, D.C. He was responsible for development, coordination and implementation of dental procedures and monitored that support during the Desert Shield/Storm Theatre of Operations. His last assignment was Dental Company Commander and Executive Office at Ft. Knox, Kentucky where he retired in April 1992. His awards included the Legion of Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Commendation Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal 1 Bronze Star and the Expert Field Medical Badge.

After his military service career, Gary pursued his passion for golf and was an honor graduate of the San Diego Golf Academy in 1993. He remained there for a year as an instructor, then moved to Kentucky and was the golf coach for Webster Co. High School from 1995 to 1998. During that period he was also on staff at Taylor Made Golf Company, giving golf clinics and demonstrating equipment at golf clubs throughout his assigned region.

Gary is survived by his wife of 46 years, Gwenda VanMeter Chesser and one brother, Kerry Chesser and wife, Nina of Newburgh. Other survivors include brothers-in-law Tom Raleigh of Sebree, Kentucky; Stephen VanMeter and wife Holly of Clarksville, Tennessee; sisters-in-law Virginia Greenwell and husband Paul of Henderson; Olivia Kay Landrum and husband Scott of Weatherford, Texas, and Pennye VanMeter of Henderson; nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Marion and Mildred Chesser of Evansville and his sister Hiwana Chesser Raleigh.

The funeral service will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, May 14, 2011 at Alexander Funeral Home East Chapel, 2115 Lincoln Ave., Evansville, Indiana. Graveside services with Military Honors, will follow at Spurgeon Cemetery in Spurgeon, Indiana. Friends may call from 2:00 to 8:00 PM on Friday, May 13, 2011 and until service time on Saturday.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Disabled American Veterans, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301 in memory of Gary.