Stephen Edward Chess

Stephen Edward Chess (Steve), 78, passed away peacefully while under home hospice care at St. Augustine Plantation, Tallahassee, FL. Steve had been a resident at the assisted living community of St. Augustine for 4.8 years, from April 2021, where he shared an apartment with his wife.

Stephen was born April 17, 1947, in Oakland, CA, to Frank Stirling Chess and Kathleen Virginia (Slaughter), both of whom preceded him in death. He is survived by his loving wife of 55 years plus 3 days, Carol Ann (White) of Tallahassee, FL; daughter Amy Carol Chess of Westford, VT; son Adam Stephen Chess of Doniphan, MO; two grandsons, Holden Sterling Friesel and Emery Stephen Friesel, both of VT; and younger brother Jerry Chess (Ann) of Newburg, MD. Stephen is also survived by brothers-in-law Roy White (Diane) of Crawfordville, FL, and John White (Lilo) of Vero Beach, FL; and sister-in-law Linda Brown (Joe) of Palm Bay, FL. He was "Uncle Steve" (and great uncle) to numerous nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, Stephen was preceded in death by his wife's parents, Donald White and Elsie (Oehrl); sister-in-law Donna Matthews; and brother-in-law Keith White.

Steve's formative years took root in the city of his birth, Oakland, CA. As a young boy, he spent much of his time visiting the home of his beloved Great Aunt Edna. She was a special person to him, and he recalled her with great fondness throughout his life.

From the time of his birth through adolescence, his dad was a career military man, so Steve and younger brother Jerry were "army brats" who relocated with the family wherever Uncle Sam stationed their father, Frank. They transferred to army bases all over the United States, including California, Arizona, New Jersey, Maryland and Alabama. The army also moved the family to one overseas post for three years, from 1954--1957, when Steve's dad was duty stationed to Taiwan (known at that time as Formosa).

In fact, the army reassigned his dad so often that, incredibly, Steve attended 13 different grammar schools! He went on to Arundel Junior and Senior High Schools in Gambrills, MD, for all but the latter part of his senior year, when the army moved the family once again, this time to Hazel Green, AL. Steve lamented that, although his time in Hazel Green was brief, his 1966 high school diploma bears the name of Hazel Green High School instead of Arundel High.

Following Steve's graduation, the family once again relocated from Alabama to Maryland. During this timeframe, his dad was assigned to his final duty station in Korea before retiring to civilian life in Manhattan Beach, MD. In the years during which his dad served in Korea, Steve became "head of household" and assumed many new responsibilities, especially since his mom didn't drive. Always protective of his little brother, Jerry, the two siblings forged an even tighter bond and remained close friends throughout Steve's life. Steve went on to attend classes at Anne Arundel Community College in Arnold, MD, as a part-time student, while also working full time for Sears Roebuck in Glen Burnie, MD.

Steve was still employed at Sears when he met his wife-to-be in a club in Severna Park called The Halfway House. The ladies in the office where Carol worked took her to a club with a live band to celebrate the occasion of her 18th birthday. There she met Steve; however, the band music was so deafening that the pair could not hear one another speak. So their introductory conversation was written on a Sears Roebuck form that Steve pulled from his shirt pocket. Their getting-to-know-you convo was written in Q & A format, which is preserved as a keepsake to this day. It made for a good "show and tell" to their children years later. Theirs was a whirlwind romance. They met in August and saw one another every day until they married four months later, in December 1970, when Steve was aged 23 and Carol 18.

When Steve and his new wife started their married lives, their Glen Burnie apartment was bare except for a few items, mostly handed down. They had no furniture, but since it was a December wedding, they had a beautiful Christmas tree! Their dining table was a borrowed card table with its legs held together (sort of) with wire. It collapsed while entertaining their first dinner guests. And then there was that hand-me-down mattress from the folks . . .. They also realized, after preparing their first meal, they were lacking eating utensils; and they had precisely two bath towels--one each. But none of that seemed important, because they had the most awesome stereo system! This was owing to Steve's skill in building speaker boxes for his pair of Altec Lansing stadium speakers, which served the family for years, and were eventually passed on to daughter Amy.

During their first three years of marriage, Steve and Carol rented at Woodcrest Apartments in Glen Burnie, which was located a short distance up the hill from Sears. They were a one-car couple starting out, so Steve walked to and from Sears for work every day to allow his wife to drive their car to her job. The couple's first foray into home ownership was a modest rancher in Reisterstown, MD that they built with their own hands (mostly Steve's). They resided there from 1974--1999, and it was the home where they raised their two children--Amy Carol and Adam Stephen--born in 1978 and 1981, respectively (as well as their first "fur baby"--pet dog, "Sugar"--who was a beloved member of the family for 16 years). In 1999 they traded the rancher, which sat on 2-1/2 wooded acres, for more house and less yard. They moved to a three-story condo, within the same ZIP Code, where somebody else raked the leaves, mowed the grass, and shoveled the snow.

A pivotal career change altered the course of Steve's life in the mid-1970s when he left retail sales at Sears Roebuck to pursue sales in a different industry: insurance. His career as an independent, multiline agent for Nationwide Insurance Company spanned over three decades, and he retired in 2009.

Upon their retirement, Steve and Carol moved from their three-story condo in Reisterstown, MD to a one-story home in a small town in Vienna, WV, within the Mid-Ohio Valley. It was a pleasant community and a good place to live in retirement, and next-door neighbors--the Ballards--became the best of friends. The couple resided in their Vienna home until April 2021 when they moved for the final time to an assisted living facility in North Florida, a state to which three of Carol's siblings had previously retired.

One cannot appreciate his lifetime achievements without taking a dive into what made Steve Chess tick. He was a man of many talents and wide-ranging interests. He was admired for his intellect, quick wit, and insatiable curiosity. He was affectionately recognized as a jokester for his spontaneous humor and ability to make others laugh, even under difficult circumstances, right up to the end of his life.

Steve functioned in a variety of roles along his life's journey. He was a loyal friend, a natural-born salesman, a successful small business entrepreneur, a reliable business partner for fellow agent, David Choi, and a kind boss to his employees and subagents. Steve was esteemed by Nationwide as an insurance agent whose loss ratio remained consistently low. And he managed that feat while providing well for his family throughout his career. This included fully funding his wife's college education once their children became school-aged. However, the roles in which Steve was most passionate, without a doubt, were that of husband, father, granddad, and big brother. He was very proud of his family.

Steve was a self-taught computer programmer, which handily supplemented his income and enhanced his reputation among insurance agents throughout Maryland. For example, he was the original software developer of a program that was used as a tool by insurance agents statewide. Its function was to provide fast, accurate quotes of auto insurance rates for coverage under MAIF (Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund). Steve jokingly dubbed this program "MAIF Invaders." The program was a commercial success because of its popularity amongst agents, who were spared the arduous task of manually calculating rates by hand with multiple factors to consider.

However, Steve's talents stretched far beyond his occupational endeavors. He was a skilled craftsman and woodworker, and this served him well in pursuit of his hobbies and home projects. For example, one interest that dominated and remained a constant for Steve was his lifelong enthusiasm for aviation beginning at an early age. The spark that ignited Steve's love of flying probably started with his dad, who was a private pilot himself, as well as a certified flight instructor. Steve's intense interest in aviation influenced the choices he made throughout his life, including everything from hobbies, early employment, family leisure time, favorite books and movies, and even his achievements after retirement.

Steve was a model plane enthusiast beginning in early childhood. He excelled in both model building and aerobatic flying. Although he switched to radio-controlled planes as an adult--once this technology became available--Steve's early models were control-line planes. Always eager to share his knowledge, Steve was a mentor to others who were interested in learning the hobby. As he gained experience, Steve's skills grew in sophistication, and he went on to build and fly a variety of quarter-scale radio-controlled models throughout his lifetime.

As a teen, Steve's first part-time job was working for Mr. Turfield Miller in the Baltimore Aeroservice Center at Lee Airport, Annapolis, MD. Turfield was legendary in his field and earned Steve's respect and admiration as a mentor. Although Steve was assigned a number of miscellaneous tasks, his primary duty was to re-fabric the exterior surface of planes that had been newly manufactured in 1935. Around this time, Steve purchased his first real airplane, a Piper J-3 Cub, which he learned to fly as a student pilot, flying out of Lee Airport. Brother Jerry was on hand to witness Steve get signed off on his solo flight. One regret that Steve had was that his dad later traded his Piper Cub to a building contractor in exchange for some work on the family's new home, which was under construction in Manhattan Beach! Due to demands on his time from school and work, Steve would not go on to become certified for his Private Pilot's License (PPL) until much later.

The "aviation bug" infected three generations of Chess men: Frank Chess; his two sons, Steve and Jerry (all licensed pilots); and Steve's son, Adam. Adam, like his dad, got hooked at an early age. Father and son spent many happy hours working side by side in their basement workshop, model building. They enjoyed spending time together flying their home-built radio-controlled planes, and it's a past-time that Adam continues to enjoy.

While Steve's kids were growing up, family leisure time revolved around aviation-themed activities, but the kids seemed to enjoy it. Weekends found them at a Baltimore County Parks & Recreation flying field designated for modelers, where Steve, Adam--and longtime friend, Ben Henry--were proud, card-carrying members of The Wright Flyers Club. (His wife and daughter Amy were spectators on the sidelines cheering them on.) There were occasional family excursions to Steve and Adam's favorite museum, the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum on the mall in Washington, D.C.

And, yes indeed, the Chess family, led by Daddy Steve, attended a plethora of airshows (big and small) through the years and got sunburned every time. These included: Andrews Air Force Base in metropolitan Washington, D.C.; Naval Air Station Patuxent River in St. Mary's County, MD; and Martin State Airport in Middle River, MD. In addition, the Chess family were regular spectators at the annual shows hosted by regional airports in Westminster and Frederick, MD. The family's "vacations" were several weekend trips over the years to performances by The Aerodrome Flying Circus & Airshow in Bealeton, VA. The kids liked that, too; Carol went along without objection. (In fairness, there was also one family trip to Disney World.)

Steve embarked on an especially memorable trip when he took his dad, Frank, across the pond to London, England, where their main focus was touring various airplane museums. Steve returned from the UK with tons of photographs, with close-up shots from every angle, of airplanes that were of special interest to him. But his reasoning for this was sound: Steve later used these photos as source documentation for a future quarter-scale model that he dreamed of building. And he did. (A quarter-scale Sopwith Camel.)

Steve began the first segment of training for his Private Pilot's License in Maryland shortly before his retirement. His flight instruction was out of Martin State Airport, which is a joint use civilian/military airport. To lessen the pain of the price for flying lessons--and to ensure that there would always be a plane available to fly once licensed--Steve purchased a used light plane revered as a training plane--a Cessna 152. It was his pride and joy. He named his Cessna "The Cat's Meow." He flew The Meow during his initial flight training in Baltimore and, after retirement, he hired a licensed pilot to ferry it to West Virginia. The Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport in Parkersburg, WV was where Steve hangared The Meow and resumed his flight training after retiring to Vienna, WV.

Thus, one of Steve's proudest accomplishments was getting certified for his Private Pilot's License at the "tender age" of 62. This was a significant achievement, since Steve was afflicted with cerebral palsy at birth and required a special medical exemption by the FAA that allowed him to fly from the right seat instead of the left. But he never used his CP as an excuse or let it slow him down. A physician once complimented Steve, "You are the least handicapped 'handicapped person' I have ever met." Steve flew The Meow on many long-distance flights across the country, but his favorite destination, handsdown, was the flight to Burlington International Airport in VT, where he and Carol routinely flew to visit their two grandsons. Much later, in his retirement, Steve became a participant rather than a spectator in airshows hosted by the Mid-Ohio Valley Regional Airport as part of the "static display." His private plane, The Cat's Meow (Cessna 152), was on display, and Steve assisted kids of all ages, who eagerly awaited their turn, to climb into the cockpit and take hold of the wheel--a place where, perhaps, dreams were born. In addition to his PPL, Steve was also certified to fly drones.

If you asked Carol, whom Steve affectionately referenced as his "bride" throughout their 55 years of marriage, she would describe Steve as an all-around handyman and jack of all trades. He could fix anything and do anything--except for carrying a tune 😉. Need a sturdy tractor shed constructed from scratch to match your existing house? No problem for Steve Chess, because he built the house, too! Need your plot of land graded but can't afford a landscaper? No problem for Steve Chess. He attached an orange crate to the rear bumper of his ancient VW Beetle and drove it around the yard in circles until it was smooth and ready for grass seeding. Need your car engine repaired, a leaky pipe fixed, a bathroom remodeled, or new ceiling lights installed? Or how about a computer guru to cure your techie blues? Just ask Steve, your personal mechanic, plumber, carpenter, electrician, and in-house computer go-to guy. He could do it all--with only one functioning hand! He even got into baking from scratch after retirement--pies, cookies, breads--and he was good at that, too, to the delight of his family and neighbors.

Steve was curious about everything. He had an interest in astronomy and invested in a telescope to share his knowledge with his children. He paid attention to the latest scientific discoveries. He was a history buff and fan of The History Channel. Steve was also keen on keeping up with the current political landscape. Also, as a lover of music in all genres, he amassed an impressive collection of music over the years, and his deejay skills were respectable! Like his father before him, Steve held a certificate in Amateur Radio as well.

Steve's involvement in business-related civic activities were too numerous to mention; however, one highlight was his longtime service as board member of the Twin Knolls Business Park Condominium Association, Columbia, MD. He also held memberships in the following: Freemason Ionic Lodge #145 and Moose Club Lodge #1577, Reisterstown, MD chapters; The Wright Flyers Club, Baltimore County, MD; and the MOVAA (Mid-Ohio Valley Aviation Association), Parkersburg, WV. As a member of MOVAA, Steve enjoyed participating as one of the general aviation pilots who gave free airplane rides to kids from a local scouting group, giving these youngsters the thrill of their first plane ride.

Meaningful ties ~ Steve had the good fortune of staying connected with two lifelong friends who meant the world to him: "the Henry boys"--no relation--Ben and John. Steve, Ben, and John were like The Three Musketeers with their inseparable friendship. Steve and Ben, whose dads were stationed at Ft. Meade, met while living at Brodsky's Trailer Park in Severn, MD. They were in 6th grade together at Ridgeway Elementary and began sharing their model plane hobby at the end of elementary school.

Steve, Ben, and John became a trio when they met up in 7th grade at Arundel Junior High and became friends for life. They spent winters building model planes and summers flying them--and crashing--as well as getting into other mischief. Although Ben moved away for a time in 8th grade when his dad was transferred, he would later return for a reunion of the trio. In the meantime, Steve and John continued attending school together all the way through high school at Arundel.

After graduating, Steve and John chased another adventure. They--along with another friend, Chris Converse--built a '55 Chevy 2-door station wagon to drag race at Capitol Raceway in Crofton, MD. They raced the car competitively for two years; Steve drove and won some trophies.

The paths of Steve and John continued to intertwine even into adulthood. Both men, after high school, became employed by Sears Roebuck in Glen Burnie, MD, at first working together in the Display Department. John would go on to serve as Best Man at Steve's wedding. The two continued their employment at Sears, both moving up into commission sales in various departments over the years, until Steve moved on to greener pastures when he joined Nationwide.

Although Ben and Steve were separated at points due to military reassignments of their fathers, they always came back together to resume their friendship. Steve eventually stood as Best Man for Ben when he married Lael. The family friendship has passed forward to the next generation, as Steve and Ben's children grew up together and became friends in adulthood.

In summary, Steve's friendship with the Henry fellas, both as kids and adults, added a layer of richness to his life that made it more meaningful. The trio remained in contact right up to the end--a true blessing!

Your family's tribute to you, Honey ~

Wife Carol: "Steve Chess, you were a good guy who led a good life. You encouraged me when I faced challenges and supported my goals. You were a wonderful provider for your family. I am most grateful, however, that you were an exceptional father to our children--your most important role of all. Job well done, my friend. We are all very proud of you."

Son Adam: "Dad's always with me wherever I go. Whenever I fly a model airplane, he's right there with me, saying, 'Hold what you got,' when the engine fails. I've inherited a great deal of the most important stuff from my Dad, and I was a very lucky boy to have a dad like Steve."

Brother Jerry: "I remember and am grateful for the care and love that Steve gave me his whole life--my big brother was my hero."

Daughter Amy: Although she could not be reached for comment, it is well known that Amy adored her father; and she was the apple of his eye.

~ R.I.P., Steve. We love you and will remember you always. ~

Arrangements for a Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date.