Constance Chase

Constance “Connie” Chase, beloved mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully at home on January 14, 2026, after a courageous battle with leukemia. Surrounded by the love of family and friends, she leaves behind a legacy of resilience, faith, generosity, and deep devotion to those she loved.

Born in Dodgeville, Wisconsin on December 31, 1949, Connie spent her early years throughout southwest Wisconsin before later moving to Southern California during high school. Though life took her many places, her Midwestern roots remained central to who she was.

She is survived by her daughter, Kate (Thor) Johansen; her cherished granddaughters, Annika, Linnea, and Emery Johansen; her sisters, Michele Kolb and Heather Chase; along with many extended family members and dear friends.

Connie built an extraordinary career through intelligence, determination, and hard work. Beginning in an entry-level accounting position at McDonald’s, she worked her way into the company’s global operations department over a 26-year career, helping establish networks and analyze data usage — accomplishments achieved through perseverance and self-taught expertise. She later continued her work in operational and analytical roles at CareNet Pregnancy Center and Christian Art Gifts, where she was respected for her reliability, dedication, and ability to solve problems others could not.

She worked tirelessly throughout Kate’s childhood and young adult years, creating opportunities and adventures that shaped a lifetime of memories, including cross-country travels and trips abroad. Connie also helped establish a strong faith-filled foundation for Kate and Thor’s marriage. Her Christian faith remained important throughout her life, as did music. A gifted pianist, she also loved choir and chorale performances in her younger years.

Though she once claimed she was far too young to become a grandmother, that role quickly became one of her greatest joys. After retiring and moving to Arizona near Kate and her family, Connie became deeply involved in the lives of her granddaughters — serving proudly as “grandma taxi,” attending gymnastics meets and school activities, baking sweets with the girls, and treasuring everyday moments together. Around the same time, her sister Michele also moved to Arizona, with Heather later joining them, and Connie naturally became the center of family gatherings, bringing people together wherever she went.

Connie was known for her intelligence, perseverance, humor, and her wonderfully specific “Connie way” of doing things. She researched every decision carefully, organized life with precision, and loved deeply and faithfully.

She will be remembered for her resilience, faith, generosity, music, laughter, and the enduring love she poured into generations of family and friends.

Memorial Services will be Saturday, June 6, 2026, at the Chase family farm, 10177 Hudson Rd, Glen Haven at 12:00 p.m. with Pastor Mark Hoehne officiating. Burial immediately following at Dodge Cemetery, Beetown Township. Kramer-Grau Funeral Homes & Crematory is assisting the family.