Kelsey C. Chase

Kelsey Chase died unexpectedly at home in Austin, Texas on Friday, August 30th. She will be greatly missed by us, her parents, Harma and Ken Jordan. Known to many friends and colleagues as KC, Kelsey was graduated from the University of Texas having studied first art then archaeology/anthropology. During the past two decades, she has worked as a field archaeologist in Central America and various locations in the United States. Kelsey was particularly fond of time spent in Belize and in Alaska. A stint in the US Army sent her to Cuba; vacation travels led her to Canada, England and France, as well. Most recently, during 2011, she returned to reside in Austin, her hometown. She agreed to work with family dividing her time between property management tasks, bookkeeping duties and various other jobs for family-owned childcare centers. We have come to rely on Kelsey daily; we will miss her on so many levels we can hardly bear to really consider the immensity of our loss. She was admired for her intelligence and hard work; her kindnesses and her humor. As some of her friends, have said to us, she was indeed very special. She was loved for simply being herself.

There will be no funeral as her body was cremated and her ashes are to be scattered. However, a memorial service will be held Saturday, September 14th at 808 W. 30th St in Clubhouse East, her newly renovated home. The service will focus on Kelsey's interests: home and garden, travel and books. (To say she was an avid reader is an understatement.) We will begin at 4:00 in the afternoon. In her memory, select friends have been invited to read passages by authors describing particular places where Kelsey has lived during her 41 years. Dinner will consist of foods she would've enjoyed, what she would have chosen to prepare for guests herself! The evening will be a celebration of this creative young woman's "too, too short a life." To join us, call 512.472.3037.

In lieu of flowers, we are suggesting donations be made to Wildlife Rescue, an organization where she volunteered in her youth, one dear to her animal-loving heart!