Mr. Cornelius Thurston "Neil" Chase IV

Mr. Cornelius Thurston Chase IV passed away at age 90 on December 3, 2018 in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Neil was a leading American educator and early founding father of tennis and golf camps on the east coast of the United States, notably the Chase Golf & Tennis Camps, his crowning achievement. Educated at Eaglebrook School, Deerfield Academy and Williams College, Neil Chase devoted his life to teaching and learning through sports. While growing up at Eaglebrook School in Deerfield, MA where his father was Headmaster, he acquired the skill of organizing youngsters for fun activities. At age 17, Neil started and directed a swimming, sailing and tennis day camp on Bassett's Island located at the head of Buzzards Bay, off Cape Cod. Neil and his brothers had to first build a tennis court, which involved ferrying all the supplies from the mainland in a rowboat. In 1947, Neil sailed aboard the Brigantine Yankee on her fourth round-the-world voyage exploring remote locations such as Easter Island and Pitcairn Island. In 1952, he graduated from Williams College, where he played tennis and lacrosse as a student, receiving a B.A. in political science.

Lieutenant J.G. Chase served in the US Navy from 1952-1956, stationed in Bermuda in US Naval Flight School with VP Squadron 49 when he met his first wife, Deborah Welsh. In 1957, they were married and moved to Cheyney, PA, where Neil taught 7th grade at The Westtown School. Neil and Deborah had three children: Patrick Chase, Rebecca Chase and Cornelius Chase V. In the summer of 1958, Deborah and Neil established the Chase Tennis Center at the Westtown School.

In 1968 Neil and his second wife, Linda Morrison, started an additional tennis camp in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, reviving an old 1890's summer resort and building thirty red clay tennis courts. Neil and Linda had two children, Eric Chase and Christine Chase. The family moved to Manchester, MA, where Neil directed the camps and taught English at Shore Country Day School.

In 1970, Neil became a full time Camp Director of the two locations. The Chase Tennis Camps were the first of their kind to teach tennis to thousands of young players while also training hundreds of coaches and future camp directors. A life-long member of the USPTA, Neil is regarded as one of the deans of tennis instruction. In 2012, he was inducted into The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, RI. Neil's holistic philosophy encouraged social and emotional learning with opportunities to participate in art, musical theater, meditation, environmental conservation, hiking, rock climbing, camping, and community life that fostered life-long friendships.

In 1975, Neil purchased the Maplewood Casino Golf Course and the Uplands Terrace Hotel in Bethlehem, NH, and started a golf camp. Thousands of campers from twenty-five states and fifteen countries came to the beautiful White Mountains and experienced top level tennis and golf instruction and many continued to play and coach at accomplished levels and felt that their experience at Chase changed their lives.

Neil is survived by his children Becky, Neil, Eric and Chrissy and grandchildren Ian, Rich, Kristen, Jasper and Annabelle and great-grandson Apollo. A memorial service will be set at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Greater Pottstown Tennis & Learning (GPTL) a non-profit tennis association working with underserved youth where his daughter Chrissy is Development Director. GPTL PO Box 935 Pottstown, PA 19464 or donate online at: www.greaterpottstowntennis.org