Marjorie "Midge" Bain Chadsey

Marjorie Bain Chadsey “Midge” passed away peacefully in her home at Horizon House in Seattle on September 22 at age 97. She was a patient and loving mother, dependable friend, and quiet yet powerful force always looking to make the world a better place. Midge enjoyed a good game and a good laugh with friends and family. She also had a special place in her heart for the animals that filled our lives from beloved dogs and cats to birds, fish, a horse, and even a boa constrictor. We miss her and know she will always be with us. 

Midge was born and raised in Indianapolis, IN, the only child of Roy and Isabel Bain. In 1943 at age 16 her parents put her on the train on her own from Indianapolis to Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY. Imagine, 1943! She said the trains were full of handsome GIs mobilized for WW II. She made good friends at Vassar, edited the student paper, graduated with a degree in English Literature, and continued to be an active member of the Vassar Alumni Association for many years. Midge met her husband to be, Ted Chadsey, while in college and they married in 1948. They settled in Greenwich, CT where they raised their four sons. Midge and Ted divorced in 1979.

She was a loyal friend to many and stayed close to women she met in high school and college throughout her life. For years these friends would travel from all over the U.S. to meet up to play and laugh together. She continued to add new friends everywhere she stopped along the way. 

Midge was a loving mother to her four sons: Bain Chadsey of Indianapolis, IN, Terry Chadsey (Jane Chadsey) and Matt Chadsey (Meggen Chadsey) of Seattle, WA, and Tobey Chadsey (Jayne Chadsey) of Chester Springs, PA. 

She was thrilled with her eight grandchildren: Alex (Meltem), Jenn (Alfredo), Schuyler (Casey), Mac (Hallie), Phil (Marisa), Hank (Drew), Roan and Isla, and smitten by her five great grandchildren.

Midge was always a competitive athlete participating in many different sports. She raced sailboats in Michigan as a teenager and sailed for fun around Puget Sound into her 80s. She learned to play golf from her parents and grandparents and went on to be a leading women’s amateur in the New York Metropolitan area from the 1950s through the 90s, frequently winning regional tournaments and earning a spot in the US and North American Senior Amateur Championships.

Midge always looked for ways to support the larger community as a volunteer, a mentor to younger leaders, a change agent, and an engaged funder. Here are two of many examples across her lifetime: 

In the 1970s she joined the Neurological Institute Auxiliary at the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in New York City. She supported patients and engaged with staff to ensure each patient received the care they deserved. In 1976 as Treasurer of the Auxiliary, she and two colleagues submitted a detailed report to the Board of Trustees of the Hospital citing a host of patient care, policy, communication, procedural and financial problems. This report eventually led to significant improvements across the Hospital. 

In the 1980s she learned that residents of Greenwich were dying at higher rates as compared to similar communities due to inadequate emergency medical response. She worked with local leaders to address these shortcomings and ultimately co-founded and served as Board Chair of the Greenwich Emergency Medical Service (GEMS). GEMS went on to set the standard for high quality emergency response and care in the region. For this work and her many other contributions to that community, Midge was awarded Greenwich’s prestigious “Key to the Town” award. 

Midge has always been especially interested in organizations that support young women. For more than a decade she has been an enthusiastic supporter of BEST Alliance, a local Seattle Nonprofit working on a national scale to prevent human trafficking though awareness, consultation, training, and safe jobs. Her family encourages donations to BEST in Midge’s memory to help continue this important work. 

The family will hold a Celebration of Life for Midge in Seattle later this fall. If you’d like to know more details once it is planned, please email your interest to terry@chadsey.us and he’ll email you an invitation.