At the age of 74, Edgar L. “Dooky” Chase III, the son of Leah and Edgar “Dooky” Chase Jr., owners of a restaurant that has become a cultural institution for African Americans and visitors to the Crescent City New Orleans, passed away recently.
As relatives and his wife, Alva, surrounded Chase III during his final moments, the family issued a statement about him being a dedicated attorney and a passionate New Orleanian who tirelessly strived to improve his community, according to WGNO.
In the written announcement, the family expressed that Dooky, a passionate New Orleanian, proudly served on numerous local, state, and regional boards. His focus was on strengthening and improving the community while bringing people together. Dooky, a lifelong educator and university administrator, was not only a CPA and attorney, but also a mentor who educated and guided thousands of students and young professionals. Dedicated to being of service to others, he was a principled man filled with joy. Exhibiting passion and faith in his daily life and interactions, Dooky was filled with them. Guided by the ideals of liberty, he believed in the power of love for mankind.
Presidents, captains of industry, musical royalty (Duke Ellington, Michael Jackson), tourists and a few notables including Martin Luther King, Thurgood Marshall and former president Barack Obama dined at the venerable restaurant which became a Civil Rights gathering spot in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward neighborhood for more than 80 years. Dooky Chase’s was owned and operated by husband and wife team Dooky and Leah Chase.
New Orleans Mayor Latoya Cantrell highlighted Chase III’s legacy, emphasizing his commitment to keeping community at his core while advocating for change at the local, state, and regional levels. Dooky, ‘joyfully dedicated to being of service to others,’ according to his family, exhibited this dedication through his unwavering commitment to the family-owned restaurants and his professions in education and law. My deepest condolences go out to his wife Alva and the entire Chase family for the contributions they have made, which are felt across the world.
On Feb. 29, funeral services will be conducted in New Orleans. The family requests that donations be made in lieu of flowers to the The Edgar “Dooky” Jr. and Leah Chase Family Foundation in his honor.
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