Obituaries

John Dawson ChaseNavy Rear Admiral

John Dawson Chase, 89, a decorated retired Navy rear admiral who served in three wars, died of multiple organ failure April 9 at TideWell Hospice and Palliative Care in Port Charlotte, Fla., while visiting in Florida. He was a resident of McLean.

Adm. Chase was born in Washington and grew up in Denver. He was appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1936 and graduated in 1940.

He served in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. During his 38 years of commissioned service, he served on aircraft carriers, cruisers, and principally on destroyers. He commanded a destroyer, a destroyer division, a guided-missile cruiser, a cruiser-destroyer flotilla and the U.S. Naval Weapons Laboratory at Dahlgren, Va., and the Military Sealift Command. Ashore he served in missile and fire control research and development billets.

He was a charter member of the Polaris ballistic missile development team.

He received a master's degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1948 and was elected to the Sigma Xi honorary fraternity. He was awarded two Legions of Merit and the Distinguished Service Medal.

After retirement, Adm. Chase worked in Tysons Corner for a technical company specializing in Navy issues for about six years.

He was a member of Immanuel Presbyterian Church in McLean and served as an elder. He also was active in the I Have a Dream Foundation's program for low-income children in Southeast Washington for 25 years.

His son, David Chase, died in 2006.

Survivors include his wife of 66 years, Elouise Chase of McLean; a sister; and a granddaughter.

-- Yvonne Shinhoster Lamb