Kristine Louise Chase

In loving memory, we announce the passing of Kristine Chase (1949-2023), a remarkable woman, whose spirit and intellect inspired those around her.  She departed this world on October 24 at the age of 74, after a valiant two-year battle with endometrial cancer. 

Growing up in Redwood City, CA, Kris had that ‘spark’ in the classroom, developing a lifelong love for learning and literature.  While she was a competitive dancer and tennis player, she spent much of her youth with her nose in a book, listening to music, and developing skills at the piano and oboe.  Graduating from Woodside High School in 1966, she attended U.C. Davis, earning both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics.  After a move to the East Coast, she welcomed her two children with her husband, Dan Chase.  While completing her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland in 1981, she taught at the U.S. Naval Academy,.

After a few cold D.C. winters, the family moved back to the Bay Area, settling in Orinda.  Kris began teaching at Mills College in Oakland and then joined the faculty at Saint Mary’s College of California in 1985, where she served as Chair of the Economics Department and Dean of the Business School.  She was known for teaching one of the most popular courses for undergraduates, “Personal Finance for Life”.  On campus you could often find her at open office hours, excited for an upcoming St. Mary’s volleyball or basketball home game. “Go Gaels!”  A fellowship in higher education administration took her to Arizona State University, after which she became Saint Mary’s College Chief Financial Officer, before returning to teach at the Graduate School of Economics and Business Administration.  After 32 years of service to the college, she retired in 2017 as Professor of Economics Emerita.

Before and after retirement, Kris traveled for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, assisting with accreditations and sharing her knowledge of higher education finance and governance. She served on the Contra Costa Community College Board, the Board of the United States International University, and the Board of Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay Area. After she and her husband, Andy Van Horn, moved to Sierra Madre to be close to her daughter’s family, she joined the board of the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library. 

Above all, Kris’ family was the center of her life, and she beamed with pride at her two children, their spouses and their grandchildren.  As fate would have it, she would find love again, marrying Andy Van Horn in 2006, gaining two stepsons and their wonderful families.  They would share their joy in nature with travel to six continents and find peace and renewal with frequent trips to Graeagle in the “Lost Sierra.” If you ever had the pleasure of meeting Kris, you would know her as an insightful conversationalist, always eager to lend an ear. Her quiet passion was knitting handmade sweaters and blankets, forever coveted by those lucky enough to nestle into one. 

Kristine is survived by her husband, Andrew Van Horn, her brother, Thomas Terrill (Susan), her son, Michael Chase (Ally), her daughter, Karen Lencioni (Matt), her stepsons Todd Van Horn (Heather Cunningham) and Scott Van Horn (Jamie Carter) and her six grandchildren.  We invite you to donate to a Goodwill charity near you or to the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library in honor of Kristine Chase.  Please join us in remembering and celebrating the extraordinary woman that Kristine Chase was and her profound impact on our lives.