James Maxwell Chase

August 21, 1922 – January 17, 2015

27 Av 5682 – 26 Tevet 5775

James Chase (“Jimmy”), 92, of Tucson, Arizona, died peacefully on January 17, 2015.

Son of the late Samuel Maurice Chase and Bianca Levison Chase, Jimmy was born in New York City and spent his childhood in Scarsdale and White Plains, NY, residing in many houses that his father had built, thus piquing his interest in architecture. Following a year at the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) in 1941-42, he enlisted in the US Army and served with the 9th Air Force in Europe during World War II, attaining the rank of Corporal. He attended Yale University after the war, graduating with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1949, shortly after marrying the love of his life, Vivienne “Micki” Curland. Jimmy and Micki began their married life in New York City before moving in 1955 to Westchester County, where Jimmy designed and built two of the family’s homes in which they lived with sons Scott and Dwight and Jimmy’s mother Bianca. Jimmy’s early career included a number of years at Webb and Knapp (real estate development) and Maria Bergson Associates (interior design) in New York City before moving to Seligman and Latz (speciality beauty and fashion retailing) in the mid-1960s, where he became Vice President of Design and Construction before retiring in 1985. Jimmy and Micki then moved to Tucson in 1986, where they spent many happy years.

Jimmy was a creative type: the family homes often featured his design innovations and always had on display some of his early paintings and sketches. In later years, he returned to his childhood hobby of stamp collecting, eventually running a small home business as a stamp dealer.

He was known for his good humor and was much beloved, especially by the younger generation, remaining his same, sweet self until the end.

Jimmy was preceded in death by his parents Sam and Bianca; wife Micki; son Dwight; and sister Adele Chase Seligman. He is survived by son Scott of Aalborg, Denmark; daughter-in-law Heidi Stimmel Chase of Santa Fe; and granddaughters Alissa and Amy Chase of Denver.

Jimmy will be quietly laid to rest beside his beloved Micki in the Santa Fe National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (http://alzfdn.org).

The family is grateful for the support and care provided in recent years by cousins Pat and Ron Litowitz, the Stember family, and staff at Golden Hope Adult Care Home and The Forum at Tucson senior living community.