KENNETH "Ken" CHASE M.D.

1943 - 2022

CHASE KENNETH HERBERT CHASE, M.D. "Ken" Kenneth "Ken" Herbert Chase, M.D., passed away peacefully on February 6, 2022, in Kingston, Jamaica, where he had been living for the past two and a half years. The cause of death was pneumonia, though he had been battling dementia and traumatic brain injury (TBI) for over a decade. Born August 5, 1943, in Waycross, Georgia to parents William Chase and Mildred Portney. Ken moved to Los Angeles before he turned two; from then on, he was raised as a true Californian. Gifted from a young age in both mathematics and musical arts, in 1964, he graduated from UCLA with honors in mathematics. He lived for a short time in Hawaii before attending medical school at UCLA, graduating in 1968. Ken then began his internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Michigan College of Medicine. He moved to Washington, D.C. in 1970 to join the Public Health Service, avoiding the Vietnam War. Ken successfully completed the final two years of his residency in internal medicine at Georgetown University, going on to become an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine. In 1980, Ken left to start his own successful clinic and consulting firm, Washington Occupational Health Associates, Inc., (WOHA), specializing in occupational and environmental medicine. Ken remained President and CEO of WOHA until his retirement. He also was active in his professional association, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM), serving on its Board of Directors and in many other roles, and was a member of the Cosmos Club. Outside his profession Ken enjoyed a life full of adventure. He loved to travel, bike, ski, SCUBA dive, and was always willing to engage in something new. He spent many weeks at Rehoboth Beach and was a philosophical follower of Albert Camus. He coached his younger son's soccer team for years and encouraged both of his sons to follow their passions. He was never affected by peer pressure and truly charted his own course through life, though that quality often left him immune to good advice. As someone who enjoyed spending time outside, he could often be found at home on his deck-reading through his latest WOHA Action Plan or sipping a gin and tonic-and can reasonably be credited as the first person on Capitol Hill to erect a roof deck and kitchen, receiving the permit in 1976. Those who knew him best understood that Ken was WOHA, and WOHA was Ken. While he was at the helm, he leveraged his intelligence, charm, medical expertise, and interest in computer technology to increase WOHA's reach and effectiveness, gaining national prominence in his field. Some of WOHA's notable clients included the FBI, the US Secret Service, Amtrak, and Sunoco. After more than 35 years, the onset of dementia and TBI prevented Ken from performing the work he had been doing for decades. Ken was preceded in death by his parents, William and Mildred (Portney) Chase. Ken is survived by his wife Cynthia, Chevy Chase, MD; son Christopher Chase and his wife Allison Burton-Chase, Delmar, NY; son Michael Chase and his wife Melanie (Holden) Chase, Sterling, VA; brother, Sanders Chase, Los Angeles, CA; and grandson, Owen Chase, Delmar NY. There will be a memorial service at the Tabard Inn, Washington, DC, on Saturday, May 21, at 3 p.m. RSVP to cwchase@gmail.com">cwchase@gmail.com. RSVP to cwchase@gmail.com.