Robert "Bob" Chance

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Denair High School

Robert Chance Obituary

ROBERT BOB'' CHANCE MAR 1924 ~ NOV 2010 Bob Chance, 86, of Denair passed away at Brandel Manor in Turlock on Tuesday, November 30. He was born in Juneau, AK to Pearl Phoebe (Swanson) and Oliver W. Chance in 1924. Shortly thereafter, the Chance family moved to Denair. Bob grew up and spent his entire life in Denair. He attended Denair Grammar and High School. He graduated from Denair High School in 1942. Bob joined the U. S. Navy on June 26, 1943 during WWII and serving as an Aviation Machinists Mate Second Class. He was a Plane Captain and fondly remembered his days of hauling bootleg liquor from Cuba to North Carolina for the officers he worked with. After being discharged from the Navy in 1946, he enrolled at California Polytechnic College and earned a bachelor's degree in Animal Husbandry. After graduating college, Bob moved back to Denair and spent most of his life as a professional welder, rancher and heavy equipment operator in the Central Valley and parts of the Sierra Nevada mountains. He was a lifetime member of the Denair Lions Club, and a former president. He also was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Bob is survived by his brother James Chance and family of Ballico. Bob's family were all of his friends in the Denair area. When it came to friends, he was a very wealthy man. He had lots of friends and did a lot of volunteer workfor the Denair community his entire life. He was very active in the community and worked many hours of his life in direct support of the people of Denair. Bob was the type of man that would give you the shirt off his back. He did not care about material things, but he did care a lot about people. Bob will be missed by many and never forgotten. A viewing will be held at Allen Mortuary on Mondday, December 6, from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm. A graveside service will be at Denair Cemetery on Tuesday, December 7 at 11:00 am. He was not known for his gardening abilities, so in lieu of flowers, please make donations to Denair Lions Club, P.O. Box 32, Denair, CA95316 or Hospice of Emanuel, P.O. Box 819005, Turlock, CA95381.Please share your memories at www.modbee.com/obituaries www.allenmortuary.com. ALLEN MORTUARY

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Published by Modesto Bee from Dec. 1 to Dec. 2, 2010.

Memories and Condolences
for Robert Chance

5 Entries

December 4, 2010

I first met Bob when I was just 12 years old. He and my mother were friends and we spent much of our time camping in the foothills and Summer at the Ranch. He would dress me in big boots and, with shovel in hand, would take me into the fields to irrigate. He would let me ride old horses he had near the airport and set me up on an old tractor and turned me loose to drive it around and around until it or I quit. For awhile, he let me keep a little blind calf as a pet. We called him Oscar.
Bob had a terrific sense of humor and always made us laugh. Most important, he was very good to me and I will always be grateful for the time I spent with him.
I was also fortunate to have spent time with him in recent years. We would go to lunch and out to the Ranch, then go for drives in the country around Denair. When he was able, we would talk about the past. His humor was as keen then as it was 50 years ago.
I will always love him and miss him.

Happy Trails to you, Bob.

Dana Ruth Sullivan Munoz

Kelley Day

December 3, 2010

Denair has lost an angel and Heaven has gained one. I have so many fond memories of Bob's big smile and loving teasing while my Poppa, Gene Lively, and he were in Lions Club together. I hope they are reminsing and smiling together in Heaven.

Mike Bronner

December 2, 2010

For many people, the death of Bob Chance is the death of Denair. Without Bob, Denair will never be the same again and neither will the world. Denair has lost its most famous person. I can’t say enough good things about Bob or even describe the hole in my heart. A heart can only take so much and mine has a giant piece missing now. Many of you, who knew Bob and also knew me, were aware that I considered Bob my second dad. Bob used to take care of me as a little boy. We always made Kool Aid. We had picnics at Crane Park on Sundays or somewhere up in the foothills. We fished together on the Clavey River and Bourland Creek, up behind Long Barn. I got rides in Bob’s red 55 T- Bird. He later burned it up in his garage. ? He let me ride his Dad’s single cylinder Harley Davidson motorcycle round and round the barns when I was 10 years old. He wrote me letters when I was in Vietnam. He sent me a “congratulations Captain” letter when I became a Captain for Continental Airlines. He gave me a Winchester Model 94, .32 Special when I was 16 and I shot my first deer with it. Many more great memories.
With the help of many people, especially Bart Muller and Dana Munoz, Sharon and I have taken care of Bob for the past four years. He spent most of that time living at the St. Thomas retirement center on Berkeley Avenue in Turlock. He loved it there and the people there loved him. They will miss him too. I can’t say enough for the people at St. Thomas. They are fantastic and took very good care of Bob. Also, the staff at Brandel, where Bob spent the past three weeks, was the very best. Caring, compassionate people work there and they are fantastic. The Emanuel Hospice that came in at my request during Bob’s last 24 hours were super, caring, compassionate and very helpful with many questions I had.
Sharon and I feel extremely honored to have been the ones that spent the last six hours of Bob’s life with him, alone, just the three of us. It was an experience with Bob Chance that no one on this earth will ever experience. It makes a person realize how valuable friendship can be. How valuable the experience of being there with someone in their final hours of life, and how much one person can care about another person. There is absolutely nothing on this earth that I would trade for those last hours I spent with Bob Chance. Sharon and I both held Bob and watched him take his very last breath. With a stethoscope I listened to his very last heart beat. The silence that followed was deafening and it ripped a hole in our hearts that will never heal. Sharon and I both feel an extreme satisfaction that we helped Bob get through the most trying experience of his life and into the hands of God, where he will forever be.

God Bless you Bob, we will always love you.

Mike and Sharon Bronner

Jackie Johnson

December 2, 2010

Bob was like my crazy uncle. I have many funny memories of him, but my biggest memory of him will be his heart of gold.

Alan & Dora Boomer

December 1, 2010

We loved Bob. His spirit will carry on forever. We will miss him with his concern for others and his humor. A great guy. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family.

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