Chase Coleman

From a young age Chase would often walk off and talk to other people. As he got older things never changed. He would talk to everyone young and old. Sometimes while riding his bike through town, he would see an elderly man in the yard and Chase would stop and talk to him. He made a friend for life.

Chase was 20 years old and did a lot of things most others his age do, but he had a way of doing things a little different.

Kids his age love their cars and music, cruising for girls and all of the things that go with it. Well, Chase did everything to an extreme. He owned a 1973 yellow Buick Centurion 4 door. Most kids his age would not be seen in a car like this. But not Chase, he would drive at a top speed of 50mph wherever he went. It was always shiny and clean, never saw a dirt road or rain for that matter. Other kids would have “new-age” music playing, Chase listened to classic rock (got that from hanging around his older brothers) and Patsy Cline, believe it or not.

Chase was into sports; from a young age, the family enjoyed watching him play baseball with his older brother. They were close enough in age that every other year they would be on the same team. And every year they were together, the teams went undefeated. Chase would play second and his brother would played first base, it was great to watch them side-by-side. Later, Chase grew into a huge Michael Jordan fan and turned his attention to basketball. He went on to play through high school and again we got to watch him and his brother together Chases junior year. We spent countless hours in the driveway and it made us proud to watch him get to that level.

Chases real love grew to be his bikes. He worked at a bike shop in Grand Blanc and quickly moved to assistant manager. He could be seen almost everyday after work riding through Millington waving at people young and old. He had a magnetic personality and a smile that would just make you laugh. His nickname was “Cheez,” because of that trademark smile.

Often Chase would ask my parents to borrow one of their vehicles (cant drive the Buick) to go help someone. Whether it was moving, painting, cleaning, or anything else, Chase said he was going to help them. My parents knew that he probably wasn’t always going to help people; he just wanted their vehicle. Well, after his accident, we waited a week before having the funeral. We estimate somewhere around 600 people came through my parents house that week and guess what…almost all of them had some kind of story about Chase and how he helped them do something. This really hit us hard, my parents thought he just wanted out of the house, but he really was helping these people.

When the day came for the funeral, between 800-900 people gathered in a church that seats 500 to say good-bye to Chase. They put people into 3 other rooms that were equipped with speakers for them to listen to the service. For a 20 year old, that is quite an impressive number and goes a long way in telling you about what kind of person he was and how many people will miss him.

Chase never had a bad day and he found the good in everything. There are days when we struggle to find the good, but we think about the gifts that others have received from Chase and that helps us get through it. We know its what he wanted us to do, always helping others. Thanks to the Gift of Life these precious memories are living on.

All of our Love to You and Yours,
— Buck, Nancy, Lon, Trevor, Brandon, Kate, Cade, Riley, Dane

Chase Coleman, heart recipient is Terry Gould. Brother is Lon Coleman, from Millington.

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Our Chase was the youngest of four boys. He truly enjoyed everyday of his short 20 years. Lots of energy and enthusiasm for life. Many occasions for us to be proud, but non more fulfilling than to learn of his wishes to donate. Chase loved basketball, bike riding and his old classic car. We knew when we left the hospital that day that this just couldn’t be the end and thanks to the Gift of Life it wasn’t. We really needed something positive to hold on to and Chase gave us that. A wonderful son, an unforgettable brother continuing to make memories for all of us and our now extended families.

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