Roy Douglas Chase

Roy Douglas Chase, 92 years 11 months, went home to be with his Lord and Savior Tuesday, July 1, 2025, in Elkhorn, NE. The family cordially invites you to a celebration of Roy’s life at 3:00 pm on July 21, 2025 at Grace Lutheran Church, Fort Dodge, IA. Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm with refreshments served. Private interment will be held immediately following the service at the Fairfield Cemetery in Albert City, IA. Roy was the son of Lempi “Dorothy” Dagmar Aspi and Lloyd Roy Chase. He graduated from South High School and Brown Institute, the “Voice Factory of the Midwest” renowned for launching successful broadcasting careers. KWMT radio (formerly KEOK) was the first to hire Roy as a disc jockey and chief engineer. His moniker “The Chase is On” launched his morning drive time show. He also met his future wife, Ann Carlson, who was a secretary at the station. They married on April 11, 1959, and welcomed three daughters: Tamra, Sandra, and Barbra. Roy earned his Associate of Arts degree from Iowa Central Community College (ICCC). As a member of the Sertoma Club he served a stint as president and participated in their infamous Halloween haunted houses much to the delight (and horror) of his daughters. In 1972, Roy switched careers from radio to TV personality, becoming KVFD’s local weatherman and sportscaster. It all came to an abrupt halt after the devastating twin tornadoes hit Fort Dodge in May 1977 and destroyed the broadcasting tower. But Roy had a knack for weathering life’s storms. He created several opportunities throughout his career, including work with Haase Photography Studio to produce local church directories and diving into sales of computers, software and advertising. For eight years, Roy tutored students at ICCC through the Vocation Education for Special Students (VESS) program. Summer weekends often found him announcing stock car races at area racetracks most frequently at the Boone Speedway, but also in Webster City and Denison. He was a familiar menace at Fort Dodge bowling alleys, serving as president of the Rose Bowl League and collecting more than a few trophies. He was an active member of Pride in Community Appearance (PICA), served as president of the Golden Kiwanis Club, guided tours at the Fort Museum, assisted the Community Emergency Response Team trainings and performed with the Hawkeye Community Theater. Roy was also a long-time member of Grace Lutheran Church. Amid all his pursuits, Roy never missed a daughter’s sporting event, play, concert or graduation. He adored all seven granddaughters and was always there supporting their various endeavors. Roy enjoyed cooking for his family, earning a new moniker as Grill Master and serving up special recipes including Papa’s Pizza and Papa’s Soup and Macho Nachos. One comment was all it took to cue his endless musical repertoire. He was famous at Friendship Haven as the human karaoke with “You Ain’t Nothin’ but a Hound Dog” being a favorite. Roy’s pride and joy was his family. He is survived by wife Ann and daughters Tami (Todd) Lines of Omaha, Sandi (Jeff) Abbas of Adel, IA, and Barbi Chase (Nabil Haddad) of Littleton, CO. Granddaughters Erika (Cole) Buffington, Emily (Marco) Martusciello, Lauren Abbas (Justin Leonard), Morgen Abbas (Zach Clayton), Kirsten Abbas (Blake Kuper), Mackenzie Burke and Katarina Burke. Great-grandchildren Bennett, Kameron and Andi Buffington, and baby girl Martusciello due to arrive in August. He was preceded in death by his parents and sisters Katherine (Kitty) Mike, Elizabeth (Bettie) Jacobson and brother Roger Chase. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Hawkeye Theater, PICA or Grace Lutheran Church.

Roy Douglas Chase

July 26, 1932 - July 1, 2025