TOMBSTONE TUESDAY - CHASE AUGUSTINE PHILLIPS, JR (1926-1992)

TOMBSTONE TUESDAY - CHASE AUGUSTINE PHILLIPS, JR (1926-1992)

Writing Tombstone Tuesday is something I really enjoy doing. I find it intriguing researching and discovering the history of the people of Calhoun County that shaped the history of our city, county, and state. They become much more than a name on a stone; they come to life again for those who are interested in knowing them. There are those people that I have known personally too. It is just as interesting, and I am always surprised when I view their lives through another lens. That is certainly true of Chase A. Phillips. 

I knew the Phillips family well because they lived directly across the street from my family when I was growing up. Some members, who were closer to my age I knew better than the older kids, but one member of the family that eluded me as well as other neighborhood kids was Mr. Phillips, whom we knew as “DC” or “Daddy Chase.” He was a man of few words and someone who was a bit scary as he gave the impression of being a no-nonsense kind of a man. We all had a respect for him. It has been so interesting learning more about this amazing man and the ability to see him in a different light as well, and it is an honor to share his story with you. 

Chase A. Phillips Jr. was born on November 3, 1926, to Chase A. Phillips Sr. and Mildred Maxwell Phillips, in Hamburg, Arkansas. His father was in the construction business, and his mother was a telephone operator. Chase was the oldest of 4 children, he had 1 brother and 2 sisters. The family moved to Fountain Hill, Arkansas where they raised their family. Upon graduating high school, Chase, like his father, worked in the construction business. While working with a company who painted water towers, he was set up on a blind date with Mary Carolyn Simpson. Carolyn attended Texas Women’s College in Denton, Texas at the same time my mother did. Not long after meeting Carolyn, Chase joined the army, he did not forget about Carolyn though and the two corresponded for the 3 years that he was in the service. When he was discharged from the army, Chase began taking classes at Arkansas A&M where Carolyn was working at the time as a medical technologist. It wasn’t long before Chase was standing before her parents asking them for her hand in marriage for which they gave their consent. While he was at it, he asked her parents if he should go to college and they again told him yes. On April 12, 1952, Chase and Carolyn married and moved to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Carolyn, having already graduated from college, worked while Chase attended the University of Arkansas. In June of 1953, their son Mark was born. 

Completing a four-year degree in only two years, Chase graduated with a degree in Geology. He worked on his Master’s degree in May of 1954 and on June 11th of that year he signed an employment agreement with the mining division of Aluminum Company of America, known better as ALCOA. He started his work in Bauxite, AR, and in August 1954 he was assigned to do geological exploration for bauxite in Paranam, Suriname, South America. He was instrumental in the discovery of a large bauxite deposit around Paranam. His discovery led to Alcoa’s decision to build a hydro electric dam on the Suriname River, and an aluminum smelter and refining plant in Paranam, Suriname, South America. The exploratory job of 2 years turned into 12 years of working in Paranam for Alcoa. 

The family listened to many stories of his working in the jungles of South America. One story was about him getting lost in the jungle and having to crawl on his hands and knees to find his way out. When drilling for core samples to find the best site for the permanent dam, he would live, often several months at a time, in the brush with native crews. During those times everything, sleeping, eating, water, and bathing, was done by way of rudimentary native ways. A friend who had worked with Chase added that Chase had told him that he survived in an existence often with moments of depression and a good deal of loneliness. 

When he was sent to South America, Carolyn and their son, Mark, went with them. The family grew by two more children who were born in Parimarbio, S.A., Diane, and Stephen. He worked weekdays away from home and most weekends he was able to come home to be with his family. Diane remembered that he had a little red speed boat and would enter races that were held there. He won at least one that she remembers. For Carolyn life was different than what she knew in the United States. One thing that was different was that wives were not allowed to work. Children of the Alcoa employees in Suriname attended school in an American Consolidated School. If a woman was a teacher in the United States, they were required to teach at the American school. There were few teachers so the ones that did teach had to teach several grades together in one classroom. 

In 1966 Chase was transferred to the Alcoa plant in Point Comfort. His job was to work on a 2nd High Temperature Digester unit. While there, in March of 1967 their youngest child, Melanie, was born. Upon completion of this job, he was transferred to Warrick, Indiana Alcoa facility. The family made moves from Warrick, back to Point Comfort, then to Tennessee, followed by Chesapeake, VA, to build a transfer station. Then finally in 1974 the family moved back to Calhoun County, settling in Port Lavaca and Chase finished out his career of 37 years with Alcoa Point Comfort. He held various positions there including being over civil maintenance and repair and later maintenance supervisor. 

He was also involved in the community. He joined the VFW post 4403, was a lifetime member of the NRA, he was with the Boy Scouts of America and Patrons Committee, and was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Prairie Lodge in Hamburg, AR. 

People who worked with Chase have said he garnered a great deal of respect from not only those who worked with and under him but also from those who knew him according to City Manager Jody Weaver. She worked at Alcoa as a project manager on the construction of an office building at the site. She fondly remembered that he called her “little bit.”

My little sister, Lina, was best friends with Melanie, and they were joined at the hip growing up. She spent more time around Chase then most other kids in the neighborhood and had some fun stories she shared with me about him. One story she shared was a good example of the neighborhood kids in relation to DC. There were several kids over at the Phillips house with Melanie, just hanging out, when someone saw Mr. Phillip’s car turn the corner. The alert went out that “Daddy Chase is coming home,” to which kids were scrambling to get out of the house with one or two even jumping out the window! She also remembered one time she walked across the street to visit Melanie and so she knocked on the door, she then heard a low-pitched voice shout “who is it?” Lina said it scared her but after she identified herself, he said, why were you knocking? Just come in!” She remembered that he was always reading and that he was an extremely smart man. She credits him with her love of Mexican food. Lina was invited to join the family and eat Mexican food at El Patio. Our family didn’t eat much Mexican food other than very mild home-made tacos, and Lina was not familiar with much of the menu, so when it was her turn to order she ordered grilled cheese. Daddy Chase told her that he brought her to eat Mexican food and that was what she was going to eat! It is still her favorite food! One of the sweetest memories she shared was that when they were in high school and driving, Chase set them down and taught them the importance of car maintenance, checking the oil, tires, cleaning the headlights and windshield etc. The girls listened as well as any high school girls would but doing it all was a toss up. One time when she came home from college, she looked outside to see Daddy Chase cleaning her windshield and headlights. She said oh my you do not have to do that for me to which he replied, I want you to be safe. Chase Phillips was the kind of person that teaches the lesson of not judging a book by the cover. The story inside of it is often a true treasure. 

In 1992, Chase Phillips had a heart attack and as a result passed away on July 15, 1992. He is buried in Port Lavaca Cemetery. His most precious wife Carolyn just turned 99 yrs old this month and still lives here in Port Lavaca. 

By: Sheryl Cuellar

Thank you to Diane Phillips Smetters for the bulk of this information

Interview Lina Moore