Chester K. Lasell

1936 - 2021

1936 - 2021
Chet Lasell, 84, spent his 36-year business career in the public relations and advertising fields. He held management positions with corporations, agencies and leading colleges in the U.S. These included Deere & Company (John Deere), AMF and Yale & Towne Mfg. Co., the international public relations agency Carl Byoir and Associates, and Columbia University and Williams College.



During his career, he was active in the affairs of his industry and served as Chairman of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce (the nation's second largest such organization) and as an officer of the Public Relations Seminar, the national organization of public relations professionals. While he was working, he served on the boards of directors of many local non-profit organizations - a practice that he continued after retiring in 1998.



He and his wife of 60 years, Kate, have been residents of Vero Beach for more than 20 years and also maintain a summer house in Williamstown, Mass., the location of Williams College from which he graduated in 1958. He received an M.S. degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1959 and then served in the U.S. Army for two years.



In Vero, he served as a director of Harvest Food and Outreach Center and was on the advisory board of the Indian River Medical Center Foundation. He also served as co-president of the Vero Beach Alumni Association of Williams College. In Massachusetts, he was a former board member of the Berkshire Food Project in North Adams and the Williamstown Rural Land Foundation, as well as a supporter of MASS MoCA. In addition to his family and favorite charities, he loved watching Williams Ephs sports and Cleveland's professional sports teams, and golfing and fishing with his friends.



In 2008, he received the top awards for alumni service from both Williams College and his high school, Pomfret, in Conn. He and his wife are members of Riomar Country Club, Ekwanok Country Club, Taconic Golf Club and the Williams Club of New York. He and his wife have three sons living in Seattle, Golden, Colo., and Niskayuna, N.Y., and four grandchildren. He was born in Greenwich, Conn.



In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Harvest Food and Outreach Center, 2050 40th Avenue, Vero Beach, FL 32960, and Williams College, 75 Park Street, Williamstown, Mass. 01267. Burial will be private.