Tommy Duane Chance
Tommy Duane Chance, 77, of Ventura, CA, passed away peacefully on June 12, 2019 in North Fork, CA after a long illness.
Tommy was born on August 27, 1941 in Richmond, IN, but soon moved to Berkeley, CA, where he spent most of his adolescent and teen years. In 1959 and with a patriotism typical of Tommy, he joined the U.S. Navy, eventually serving in Vietnam as a photographer and journalist.
At an early age he met his first wife Georgette and together raised two sons, Glenn and Matthew.
He sincerely loved his job in the Navy, especially enjoying the time he spent in Hawaii, and would ultimately achieve the rank of Chief Petty Officer. He would retire in 1979, but would forever be known as the “Chief.”
In 1981, in Ventura, CA, he married his second wife Judith Ann. They would share many decades of wedded bliss together. After his career in the military, he took several career paths, including writing and editing technical ship manuals for the Navy.
Tommy and Judy Chance
Eventually he would form his own company, Chances Unlimited, where he worked for many years before retirement in 2010.
After retirement, he and Judy moved to the Sierra foothills where they would gaze at the star-filled nights in wonder and enjoy the peaceful nature of God’s country before both were called home to Heaven.
He will be sincerely missed.
Tommy is preceded in death by his wife Judith Ann and is survived by sons Glenn and Matthew Chance of Oxnard, CA, as well as faithful stepchildren Lisa and William Clark. He also leaves behind four granddaughters Heather Vitalec, Hannah Vitalec, Holly
Burrows and Brianna Chance, and great-grandsons Jayce and Quentin Vitalec-Perry.
A full military honor memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 13 at Peace Lutheran Church in Fresno, CA. with a luncheon to follow.
