Earl Chandler

Earl Eugene Chandler of Coolidge passed from life on June 4, 2011. Earl was a Korean War veteran, having served in the U.S. Marines. He loved all sports, especially track & field and swimming. During high school, he was a great athlete and competed in shot put. He even beat the American Shot Put Olympian, William Parry O’Brien, Jr., during school practices. For many years, he swam daily in the ocean waters off the Santa Monica pier. He was a happy, outgoing person who loved to joke and tease. His nickname throughout childhood was “Happy Earl” because he was so good natured. Everyone who knew him has stories to tell about him, and
he always entertained people with endless stories of his own. He had
a creative mind, and was always thinking outside the box. He
was an inventor and had several U.S. patents. He was a longtime farmer whose hobby was saltwater fishing. Earl and Betty often took their grandson, Mario, on fishing trips to Mexico. Earl had great neighbors and many loyal friends. He was a unique person and will
be greatly missed.

He is survived by Betty, his wife of 54 years; one daughter, Gayla Chandler; one grandson, Mario Luis Lizarraga, of Florence, Arizona; two great-grandchildren, Sydney Renee and Natalee Elise Lizarraga, both of Florence; and one sister, Sandi Anderson, of Venice, California.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Bernice Winters of Santa Monica, California, and Eugene Perrin Chandler of Coolidge, Arizona. As a child, he lived with his mother in Santa Monica and spent summers with his paternal grandparents, Belle and Eugene Chandler, who farmed and owned a grocery store in the Eleven-Mile Corner area. Earl and Betty met early in February 1956 and married later that year, on August 5, 1956.

An Open House Celebration of Life will be held at the family home
in Coolidge on Saturday, June 18th from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, where we will share our experiences and stories about Earl. We look forward to seeing Earl’s family and friends.