Jose A. Chacon

1925 - 2020

Jose A. Chacon





Jose Andres (Andy) Chacon was born in Penasco, New Mexico on August 16, 1925. His parents were Emilia Martinez Chacon and Gregorio Chacon. Andy passed away on his 95th birthday, August 16, 2020 of COVID 19 pneumonia. His beautiful wife of 64 years, Isabel Duran Chacon, passed away on June 15, 2015. Andy is survived by his three daughters: Dolores Alleva, Cecilia Klevan and Monica Chacon. Andy is also survived by his brother Mardoqueo Chacon.

Andy served in the Navy as an aerial gunner during WWII surviving the sinking of the USS Ommaney Bay by the Japanese. He graduated from West Point, Class of 1951 and served in the Air Force as a flying officer. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Air Medals and six other awards and decorations for service during the Korean War. He was a Staff Member Technical at Sandia Labs for 12 years and at the same time served as State Chairman of the Public Welfare Board. During this period he also obtained his Master of Arts degree from the University of New Mexico and later completed the requirements for a Doctorate in Business Administration from George Washington University.

Andy took leave of absence from Sandia to become Associate Director of the Peace Corps in Peru in 1964. On return, he served on three White House assignments. As the Executive Director of the President's Committee on Mexican American Affairs during the Johnson administration. The second was on the staff of the White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health and lastly as Associate Director for Consumer Education during the Nixon administration. He then joined the Atomic Energy Commission where he served as the Area Manager of the Dayton, Ohio office. Andy retired from federal service in 1979 and accepted the post of Science and Technology Advisor with the US AID for all of Central America. Upon returning to the States in 1981 he taught management and economics at the undergraduate and graduate levels in New Mexico as well as in Ohio Maryland, Iceland and Bermuda.

In 1992 Andy retired from teaching to devote his time to writing, a hobby of his since the 1960's He published three books and his articles have appeared in the Houston Post, the San Antonio News Express, the Kingsville Record Bishop News and the Los Angeles Times.

Andy and Isabel moved to Fort Myers, Florida in 2014. His last 6 months were at the Douglas T. Jacobson State Veteran's Nursing Home in Port Charlotte. He was very well cared for by the staff and if it weren't for the COVID virus, would probably be looking forward to his 96th Birthday!