Michael Chase Memorial ‘Dad Fund’
On December 7, 2025, at age 54, Michael Chase passed away in Hong Kong from complications surrounding an aggressive form of cancer, Mixed Phenotype Acute Leukemia (MPAL). After a year of valiant battle, he left behind his wife Heather and two sons, Nathan and Benjamin.
While Michael was going through treatment and unable to work, the Chase family used up their savings plus donations to cover all out-of-pocket expenses related to his treatment. This allowed them to break even with no debt, while focusing on being present with each other. This precious time was an incredible, irreplaceable gift that no dollar amount could have increased.
None of us expected this devastating outcome.
Professionally, we lost Michael at the peak of his incredible career --building theme parks and theaters around the world. He’d been elected to the board of directors of an organization he was part of for decades, working diligently to mentor others in his field. He expected to work for many more years, sharing his vast experience and knowledge with those who would go on to replace him.
Personally, we lost Michael right at the point where parents begin the shift from raising children and getting them set up in early adulthood to dreaming of what comes next as a couple. 2026 was their year to begin joyously planning the next phase of life, not planning a funeral and a long future without Michael.
As Heather and the boys look ahead, the loss is unbearable in so many ways. There is a lifetime of milestones yet to come, which Nathan and Benjamin will face without their father beaming with pride, celebrating their accomplishments, giving advice, or using his many industry contacts to help them in their careers. The first big milestone without Michael arrives next month with Nathan’s university graduation, where there will be a huge void where his Dad should be.
Everyone around the world who knew Michael is asking how they can help right now. While the Chase family has no debt, their savings were depleted during Michael’s year of treatment. There is no safety net in place for the future without Michael’s steady presence and contribution, both as a father and a provider. This is an uncomfortable and unexpected place to be, but together we can do something about this right now.
We are creating a 'Dad Fund' in Michael’s honor, and you are invited to join us.
Help us fill a savings account Heather can use for the milestones parents usually help out with… like upgrading an older computer, booking airfare to visit family abroad, putting a deposit on a first apartment, getting married, starting a family, or simply having money available for the inevitable things that go wrong when you are just starting life on your own, post-graduation.
With many more years of Michael building a future by working and supporting his family, all of that would have been a given. Now that things have dramatically changed, no one wants these boys to miss more than they will already be forced to go through without his presence.
For those asking to help, please consider this concrete, tangible way to remember Michael Chase as the active, loving father he was. Please join with others who knew him in supporting and celebrating the family he loved so much as they navigate years into a future without him. Financial support can never replace him, but it can allow space to meaningfully remember him as time keeps marching on.
Thank you, on behalf of Heather, Nathan, Benjamin, and the extended family members around the globe who are grieving the great man that is Michael Chase.
If you want to read more about Michael’s year-long battle with cancer and how the family is doing, please subscribe to the Plucky Day Newsletter.