Chester Isaac Bare, Jr., affectionately known as "Chet", was born February 10, 1925 in a farm house near Protection, Kansas. He was the second child and eldest son of Chester Sr. and Bessie Pearl Booth’s four children. Chet started school a year early with his sister Marguerite, walking a mile to the one-room schoolhouse. Chet was diligent in his studies, graduating from Protection High School in 1942 with a perfect attendance record.
After high school, Chet joined the Army, attending basic training at Ft. Fannin and serving in the Philippines from 1945-1946. In the Philippines, Chet suffered a grave head injury that left him in a coma for three days and requiring emergency surgery to relieve brain swelling. When stable, he was transferred to a hospital ship for a 40-day trip to back to the US and six month convalescence in a military hospital. This hospitalization and a physician uncle led him to an interest in Medicine. He attended Kansas State University, receiving a BS degree in Zoology in 1950. He continued his education with a Master’s Degree from Kansas University in 1951.
While attending K-State, Chet met Hope Elizabeth Watts in 1950, the love of his life. They were married June 14, 1953 at Buck’s Grove Methodist Church and spent the following summer in Ft. Collins, CO where Chet worked on the railroad and at a pickle factory while Hope finished her Master’s degree. They moved to Kansas City, KS, where Chet attended Kansas University Medical School (1953-1956) while Hope taught. He earned his M.D. from KU Medical Center in 1956. His senior paper on lead poisoning in children was published in the Kansas Journal of Medicine. Following graduation, he enjoyed great fellowship with his classmates, meeting regularly for over 60 years.
After an internship and residency, he joined the Raytown Clinic where he practiced pediatrics for more than 40 years, making house calls during the 60’s and meeting patients at the clinic after hours and on weekends. Over the years, he had the privilege of treating generations of patients. He volunteered as Boy Scout camp physician for many years with Boy Scout Troop 469.
In his free time, Chet gardened, traveled, and avidly documented the family genealogy. He joined the Sons of the American Revolution after tracing the Bare family lineage to the Revolutionary War. Chet, Hope, their six children, and extended family traveled throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico in the family station wagon. Chet and Hope traveled extensively overseas, visiting relatives in England and Ireland. They cruised through the Panama Canal and Mediterranean Sea and explored Africa, Israel, and Egypt. Chet and Hope traveled to all 50 states and visited most of the major national parks. Chet always enjoyed meeting people including a hitchhiker from Scotland, who became a lifelong friend.
Chet had a great sense of humor and a twinkle in his blue eyes. His children knew to check with Hope if a story was particularly outlandish. He loved to spend time with children and thoroughly enjoyed time with his grandchildren. He loved all genres of music.
He is preceded in death by his siblings Marguerite and Robert, his wife of 63 years, Hope, and son Garth.
Chet is survived by his sister Ruby, and children Mark (Michele), Lance (Suzanne), Jane (Steve), Marla, Cleve (Tara) and their families; including ten grandchildren, Grace, Alan, Stephen, Kevin, Lauren, Sarah, Megan, Sabrina, Delaney and Kelsey and many other loving family and friends.
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