Jay Emerick Chase, lovingly known as “Hawk” by those who love him, left this world on November 9, 2026, probably with that shit-eating grin on his face and a joke he never got to finish. Knowing him, he’s already found the nearest wood shop on the other side and is deciding which project to tackle first while Michael Ray leans in and says, “Lemme ask you a question.”
Born August 3, 1954, in Guymon, Oklahoma, to Felicia and Billy Jean Chase, Jay spent over 50 years working in the oil field, where he earned calloused hands, a strong back, and a vocabulary that could peel paint. He proudly worked hard so his girls could dance and twirl and would never want for anything, and he never once let the job take the fun out of him.
If it had a motor, Jay wanted to go fast on it. In high school, he and his brother and partner in crime, Bill, took the family car to the school and turned it into a go-kart. Countless summers were spent riding motorcycles and four-wheelers and zipping around Canton Lake with the family trailing behind a boat. He spent many weekends at the dirt track, came home covered in mud and grinning like he’d won (whether he had or not). He raced go-karts, rode motorcycles, and taught more than one kid in the family that a few bumps and bruises (and maybe a broken neck) are just proof you had a good time. Mothers in the family were less enthusiastic about his lessons, but what do you do? It’s Uncle Jay!
In his later years, Jay slowed down just enough to let the neighborhood catch up with him. Word got around that his house was the place to be for an afternoon snack, and a steady stream of neighborhood kids found their way to his shop, knowing there’d be ice cream waiting. He never turned a single person away. He’d send them in for an ice cream cone, crack a joke, and send them home sticky and smiling.
He was irreverent to the bone. No situation was too serious for a wisecrack, no person too important to be teased, and no family gathering was complete until he’d gotten someone good. But behind every joke was a man who loved his people fiercely. And while sarcasm was his first language, it was matched only by his generosity. He didn’t care if you were a friend or a stranger. If someone needed something, he was ready to help. He was a devoted husband to Reggie Chase for 20 years, a proud dad, and, best of all, Papa to 15 grandkids and great-grandkids who thought he hung the moon (and who probably learned a few words from him they shouldn’t have).
He is survived by his loving wife, Reggie Chase; Aunt Dale “Ma” Papay; his siblings, Bill Chase (Vickie), Kim Roberts, Jimmy Walbaum (Kelly), and Kay Teeter (John); his children, Tonya Henning (Bob), Tammy Cooper (Chip), Tina Hickman (Jeremy), Adam Heinrichs (Angie), James Heinrichs (Brienne), and David Heinrichs; 17 grandchildren, 11 great-grandkids, and a horde of nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Billy Jean Chase and Felicia Walbaum; stepdad Junior Walbaum; Uncle Larry “Pa” Papay; sisters, Lisa Walbaum and Theresa Cain; and a nephew who was just like him, Michael Neely.
Visitation will be Friday, November 13, 2026, from 2:00 PM until 8:00 PM, at Garnand Funeral Home, Ulysses, Kansas. A celebration of life will be held at Country View Baptist Church with Pastor James Berry officiating, on Saturday, November 14, 2026, at 1:00 PM. Graveside service will be at Elmhurst Cemetery in Guymon, Oklahoma, at 3:30 PM. Dress comfortably. He would have! In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you tell a dirty joke, hug your grandkids, and take the long way home on two wheels. Rest easy, Papa. Save us a spot in the shop. Memorials can be given to Operation Christmas Child in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave., Ulysses, Kansas 67880. Condolences may be posted at www.garnandfuneralhomes.com.
