Mary Ann Chase

 

She was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts on 12 November 1936 to a first-generation French-Canadian father, the late John Joseph Comeau and an Italian immigrant mother, the late Constance Comeau (nee Lucia).

 

Mary Ann grew up in Haverhill as an only child but in loving multi-generational home environments. As the disease evolved, Mrs. Chase recalled with great clarity, fondness and some sadness her earliest memories of living with the “Comeau boys” on Swasey Street with her Uncles and Aunts in the downstairs apartment and Mary Ann and her parents in an upper apartment.  She attended and graduated from St. James Catholic school in 1954. During her time at Swasey Street, she recalled her Uncle Leo Comeau going off to fight in WWII. He was a PFC in the 109 Engineering Combat Battalion, 34^th Division. She was called out of class in second grade to learn he was killed in combat. While she was told she should be honored and proud that he died as a hero defending his country, her 7 year-old self was heart-broken.

 

After Swasey Street, Mary Ann and her parents moved to 448 Hilldale Avenue in Haverhill. Hilldale Avenue was another multi-generational home for the Lucia family and Mary Ann recalled her mother caring for her maternal grandparents and Aunts. As a teenager, Mary Ann was ahead of her time with her affinity for “boy bands” – she was not only a huge fan of the Four Lads, she was the President of the Johnny Ray fan club of the North East region in New England. Her cousin Marilyn Comeau recalls many fond memories of Mary Ann dancing to the Four Lads as a teenager in the Hilldale home. Even as the disease progressed, Mary Ann never forgot the moves.  She spent many hours dancing, snapping her fingers, and clapping in step to the Four Lads in the Pasadena home of her son, Steven Naylor (Donna) where she lived with her husband, William (Bill) Chase and their two dogs, Katie and Gracie.

 

Mary Ann Comeau lived on Hilldale Avenue until her marriage at the age of 19 to a young Army private stationed at nearby Fort Devens, James (Jim) L. Naylor. As a young bride, Mary Ann’s first exposure to “joining the Army and seeing the world” as an Army wife was to Anchorage Alaska where she had her first son, Steven Naylor. Jim and Mary Ann’s union bore three more beloved children: James L. Naylor, Jr., Robin Ann Sprecher and John Joseph Naylor (Laura). The family settled on Temple Drive in Pasadena, MD and attended St. Jane Frances de Chantal Catholic church. Their family spent four years in New Hampshire with the children forming life-long warm memories with their neighbors and gatherings with the near-by Lucia and Comeau families. Upon return from New Hampshire, they moved to a new development in Riva Farms in Riva, Maryland. Jim and Mary Ann’s marriage ended in divorce in the early 80’s.

 

Although Mary Ann earned success in her careers outside the home, her proudest role was one of a mother and housewife. She was a talented cook, made an enviable pot of sauce and was known for her barbeque chicken thighs and birthday cakes iced and decorated generously with M&Ms. Her children recall a carefree childhood with a mother that was fair but firm and that could stop any thought of mischief with “the look”.

 

Mary Ann was a member of Holy Family Catholic Church in Davidsonville while living in Riva. It was through her church that she attended a Knights of Columbus dance and met a man quick with a smile, pun and a hearty laugh that brought her much joy and happiness – the fact that he was from Maine and still retained his deep accent gave them another shared bond.  She married William (Bill) Oliver Chase on 26 May 1989 and gained three more children: Leslie Bell, Julie Taylor and Charles (Mary) Chase.

 

Bill and Mary Ann Chase relocated to North East, Maryland in 2006. They both attended St. Jude Church and served as Eucharistic ministers. They shared many years of traveling as a couple – snow birds to Florida gulf-side in the winter, taking their RV to New England in the fall and to the Ocean City, Maryland Air Shows in the summer. Their most ambitious RV trip was a cross-country trip to Alaska in their RV with their adopted cats and two dogs. Mary Ann revisited some of her younger memories of the beautiful state and together they made many more. Bill chronicled the trip in many pictures and emails to the family during their 3-week adventure. Mary Ann had an affinity for the beach and with her French Canadian and Italian roots, her olive skin bronzed easily and beautifully every summer. She loved to watch old movies up until the last days of her life and had a beautiful, gentle laugh.

 

Mary Ann was a spiritual person and faithful Catholic.  She and Bill included visits to churches, missions and monasteries in their travels. Mary Ann was a lover of all God’s gifts on earth – the beautiful blooming vegetable and fruit gardens that she loved to maintain, the deer that she admired and fed and the pets that she adopted. She loved the wild horses at Assateague. As her illness progressed and they moved to Pasadena in August 2018 with her son and daughter-in-law, Bill took Mary Ann out for a drive nearly everyday to see the horses on the farms in the area. She was a beautiful soul with a soft place in her heart for God’s creatures.

 

In her last few years, the family was supported by a team of care-givers that maintained a high standard of care, preserved her dignity and always cared for her as if she was their own Mom or grandmom. They were able to see past her illness to the beautiful woman beneath through her vivid blue eyes and dignified manners. The family wishes to thank Ruby Johnson of Ruby’s Care, LLC and her team:  Simisola, Chanel, Annette, Ms. Margaret and Diamond for their loving care, ability to step up with every phase of her care-giving needs and be there for her and the family for emotional support.

 

In addition to her children and their spouses, Mary Ann Chase leaves grandchildren and great-grandchildren from the Naylor, Sprecher, Bell, Chase, Adamson and Taylor families. She was preceded in death by her former husband, James L. Naylor, Sr., son-in-law Seth Sprecher and daughter-in-law Brenda Naylor.

 

Mary Ann started her childhood in a multi-generational family and ended her life in one. This time, instead of taking care of the older generation, she was the recipient of much love and affection by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Her parting gifts to her beloved husband, Bill, and her children was the gift of grace she gave us as she peacefully transitioned.  Her legacy to her great grandchildren is one of the first lessons in faith and of seeing someone they love go to Heaven to be with Jesus.