There never has been and never will be anyone quite like Chase Taylor. He lived every minute of his life to the fullest. He embraced and engaged with people regardless of who they were or where they had been.  He was truly one of a kind—not in that cliché way that everyone who passes a little too soon is often described, but in that real, holy smokes, “you will never meet another person like him” kind of way. Chase was hilarious, kind, loyal, and filled with so much love. He had an infectious joy and charisma, and he was brave—always the first to stand up when someone needed help. He had a smile as bright as his red hair and a heart of pure gold.

In Chase’s book, the best way to spend a day was out on the baseball or soccer field or out hunting and fishing. Throughout his years in high school, many family weekends consisted of traveling with select teams and forming lifelong friendships. Chase graduated from Westbrook High School in 2012 and began his college journey. He obtained his instrumentation degree from LIT and continued pursuing his bachelor’s degree at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. While attending LU, he was initiated into the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, where he immediately found a second home and became a leader to his brothers. Within the brotherhood, Chase created bonds that profoundly impacted his too-short life, and he made that same impact on his brothers—and that influence will continue throughout generations.

​Several months before he died, Chase secured a competitive, full-time position at Chevron Chemical with plans to continue his final work towards his degree at LU. At his funeral, some of his senior colleagues at Chevron Chemical said that they had made the decision to put Chase on the fast-track into a supervisory leadership role, but they never had the chance to tell him. They also said that Chase was a natural leader, and he was well-liked and respected by everyone at work, including his older teammates. They said this was very unusual for a 23-year-old and made him stand out at all levels of the company.

A friend wrote this about Chase on his college graduation day, and he beautifully sums up who Chase Covington Taylor was.

I was only friends with Chase for a year and a half, yet it felt like 20 years of friendship. He was the guy I looked up to so much and the guy I wanted to be like. He taught me how to always put a smile on my face even if the day was not going well, because life is too short. Words can’t really describe how he was. He was the best person in the world, and he has made me the man I am today by following his actions and approaches to this world. I could go on and on about this man, I truly could. At the end, thank you for befriending me. I love you, Chase, and I miss you. I will always be so grateful for you! I don’t know what the future holds, but I’m going to make sure to have a little Chase in everything I do.

​To know Chase Taylor was to love him, and to be his friend was to love him even more. He leaves a profound legacy for all of us: never let life get in the way of spending time with people you love.

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Chase Right Choices is a 501C(3) nonprofit empowering people to make choices that will have a positive impact on their lives.