Elizabeth Chase

Elizabeth Anne Chase MOUNT HOLLY - Elizabeth "Beth" Chase of Mount Holly, Vt. passed away on Friday, January 12th, 2024 at the Rutland Regional Medical Center in Rutland, Vt. due to complications from a rare form of cancer. Her husband, Jeffrey Chase, was at her side. Beth loved her life, her job, and she lived her life with gratitude for all the blessings she received.
Beth was born December 3rd, 1979 in Bridgeport, Ct, the daughter of the late Dorothy (LaRoche) Tomkinson, and Victor DeMaria of Fairfield, Ct. She lived her first eight years of life in Westport, Ct. moving with her mom to Rutland Town, Vt. when her mom remarried in 1988.
Beth attended Rutland Town Elementary School where she made many life-long friends. From an early age she developed a passion for horses and riding her own horse, "Glance." Together, Beth and Glance, won many ribbons at events at Pond Hill Stables and elsewhere. In 1995 her parents moved to North Clarendon, Vt. where Beth attended Mill River High School. She was an avid member of the school's drama program and girls basketball team. Beth was also a happy alumni of the "Gills Girls" team at Gills Deli in Rutland. Graduating Mill River in 1997, Beth attended Ithaca College where she got her Bachelor's degree in Communications, in 2001.
After college Beth moved to New York City to work in the field of marketing. Then in 2004 she was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and underwent a long, complex surgery. While recovering from the surgery she decided to make major life changes. These included moving out of New York and furthering her education. In 2007 she met her soon to be husband, Jeffrey Chase, and also graduated from Boston College with a Master's degree in Education. Her first job with her new degree was working as a Special Educator at the CASE Collaborative in Concord, Ma. where she could begin to follow her passion for helping children with special needs, a sentiment inspired by her physically challenged niece Cassidy.
Beth and Jeff moved to Mount Holly in 2009. Her first professional job in Vermont was teaching at Rutland Town Elementary School where she was delighted to be working side by side with some of the same teachers she had while she was a student there. Her extra curricular activities included coaching Rutland Town's Middle School basketball team.
Beth and Jeff were married in July, 2010, at Church of the Annunciation in Ludlow, Vt, and to the delight of both, their first child, Parker, came along 18 months later, followed two years later by a daughter, Thea. She eventually left Rutland Town Elementary School to work as a Special Educator at the Mount Holly Elementary School, where Parker and Thea became students.
During all this time, Beth never gave up her love of horses and she shared her passion with her daughter, actively volunteering and supporting Thea in Rutland County 4-H events and lessons at the Otter Creek Stables in Wallingford, Vt. She too continued to ride, take lessons and compete in equine events at the Vermont State Fair Grounds and at Otter Creek Stables, where she kept her horse, Zeke. She rode until May of 2023 when her illness forced her into retirement.
While Parker learned to ride as well, his greatest gift from Beth was to share in her insatiable curiosity and love of learning. She often said that her children were the best things she ever did, and that she always felt that given the right start in life that they would do amazing things. It was her passion to share as many of her life experiences and values as possible with Parker and Thea. She wanted above all to see that they were good humans with good values.
Beth is survived by her husband, Jeffrey T. Chase, her children Parker and Thea, her stepfather, Craig Tomkinson of Mount Holly, and father Victor DeMaria of Fairfield, Ct. Additionally she is survived by her sister, Terri DeMaria of Bridgeport, Ct. and stepsister, Breege Tomkinson of Los Angeles, Ca., as well as numerous other family members. She was predeceased by her mother, Dorothy Tomkinson, and stepsister Aubray (Tomkinson) Aubuchea.
A Catholic Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. at the Church of the Annunciation in Ludlow on January 27th, 2024 with interment to follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to Rutland Regional Medical Center, Attn: Rutland Health Foundation, 160 Allen Street, Rutland, VT 05701
Arrangements are under the direction of Clifford Funeral Home in Rutland