Raymond A. Chace, 91, of East Freetown, passed away peacefully on February 26, 2020 at the Sippican Healthcare Center. He was the husband of Shirley M. (Dwelly) Chace.
Raised in Dartmouth, son of the late Nelson and Verna (DeMoranville) Chace, he lived most of his life in East Freetown.
He was the proprietor of Chace and Son, an excavating business, for 40 years. Many families in Freetown owe their home foundations and wells to his skilled work.
Raymond was a Korean War Veteran, a proud Marine, and an enthusiastic Red Sox fan. A man who was gruff, funny, loved to give people a hard time, but would get out of a warm bed and rescue you at 2:00 AM during a snowstorm; a man you could count on every day of the year.
He was incredibly proud of being named Freetown's Man of the Year in 2002 for his volunteer work on the Central Park Project, helping to install the baseball fields for the children of Freetown. A jack-of-all-trades, he was adored by his great-grandsons Mason and Matthew, who lovingly called him Ra-Ra. He was their hero and according to them he could do anything!
He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Shirley M. Chace of East Freetown; his son Raymond A. Chace, Jr. and his wife Karen of East Freetown; his grandsons, Christopher Chace of East Freetown and Shane Collins of Dartmouth; and his great-grandsons, Mason and Matthew Chace.
He was the brother of the late Elizabeth Norton, Dorothy Bence, and Ruth Grindal.
His funeral service will be held on Tuesday, March 3, 2020 at 10 AM in the Saunders-Dwyer. Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. Burial will follow in Chace Cemetery, East Freetown. Visiting hours will be Monday, March 2, 2020 from 4-7 PM. Flowers are accepted or, if you wish, you may perform a random act of kindness in Raymond’s memory - pay it forward. For directions and guestbook, visit www.saundersdwyer.com.