Beatrice Ruth Chasen

CHASEN, Beatrice Ruth (Cohen), age 91, of Richmond, Va., wife of Harold Chasen, died Sunday morning, October 24, 2010 after a short illness. Beatrice was born October 16, 1919, in Irvington, N.J., daughter of Simon Cohen and Lillian (Blumstein) Cohen. She was predeceased by her parents; and her siblings, Alex Cohen, Seymour Cohen and Esther Selen. She was a proud graduate of Weequahic High School in Newark, N.J., and Montclair State University (Montclair State Teachers College) in Upper Montclair, N.J., where she received her bachelor's degree in English. Later, she received a master's degree in Personnel and Guidance from Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. She was married to Harold Chasen for over 69 years. Working alongside her husband, Bea built several businesses including Chasen's Newspaper Service and Bright Dry Cleaners in Irvington, N.J., and Harmony House Record Stores located throughout New Jersey. It was during this time that she compiled a comprehensive catalog of children's recordings for schools and libraries. After retiring from the retail business, she and Harold built a successful Amway distributorship. As a longtime resident of New Jersey, Beatrice was active in many community activities. She helped create, and was the first president of, the Essex County Section of the National Council of Jewish Women. She was a lifetime member and a recipient of their Hannah G. Solomon Award for her charitable service. She was very proud of the section's annual fund-raising art show which she worked on for 18 years. She was also a co-founder of the Youth Employment Service (YES) in Millburn, N.J., which found jobs for teenagers. She also taught English as a second language for many years. Beatrice is survived by her husband, Harold Chasen; and her three sons, Steven Chasen (Frances) of Santa Monica, Calif., Donald Chasen (Vicki) of Escondido, Calif., and Estes Park, Colo. and Andrew Chasen (Marc) of Richmond, Va. She also leaves four grandchildren, Ruth Chasen, Jennifer Cohn (Howard), Catherine Donoghue (John), Donald Chasen Jr.; and two great-grandchildren, Dara Hali Cohn and Ava Chase Donoghue. Funeral services will be held 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, October 27, in the chapel of Richmond Beth-El Cemetery at Forest Lawn, with interment to follow. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to National Council of Jewish Women, The Alzheimer's Association, Beth Shalom Home or the charity of your choice.



This obituary was originally published in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.