Barbara Mary Glenn Chase

On Friday, October 17, Barbara Mary Glenn Chase died peacefully after a brief illness at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, Virginia. A resident of McLean, Virginia, Barbara was born in Bangalore, India, to British parents. Barbara, her brothers George and Norman (Chips) and half-sister Ann spent their childhood in India. She and her brothers moved to London, to live with relatives just before World War II. Barbara worked as a personal assistant in the British government during the war years and met her future husband, US Army Aircorp Lieutenant Ernest Frank Chase, Jr., in London. In February 1946, Barbara flew to the US and married Ernest in New York City, a few days after her arrival. Barbara worked at Harvard’s Widener Library while her husband completed his degrees, and eventually moved to McLean, Virginia when her husband got a job working for GE and eventually the government. They had two boys, Norman Scott and David Alan. Ernest was assigned to a foreign post in Geneva, Switzerland, where the family lived for five years. When they returned to their home in McLean, Barbara volunteered her time as a docent in the Gems and Minerals department at the Smithsonian. She then worked for author and animal activist Cleveland Amory at the Fund For Animals for ten years before retiring. She and her husband enjoyed traveling the world and spending many hours in their garden. Barbara and Ernest were married for 63 years before Ernest passed away in 2009. Barbara is survived by her son, David and his wife Karen, grandchildren Megan and Bryan Chase, and Kendrick Withers; nieces and nephews Geoff, Lillias, Bruce, Glenn, Almeda and Chris and their children. Barbara’s brothers George and Chips, sister Ann and son Scott predeceased her. A memorial service will be held at Unitarian Universalist Church at 4444 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22204 on Thursday, Novemter 6, 2014 at 2:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to Fund for Animals or National Wildlife Federation.