By TIM BARTO
Funeral services were held for Art Chance on Oct. 25 for a collection of family, friends, and admirers. It included some great stories and even a violin solo by one of his neighbors.
I didn’t know Art well, but I enjoyed reading his columns in Must Read Alaska. He didn’t mince words; just the opposite, actually. Art called it how he saw it, and he called people how he saw them, even – especially – when those people were in positions of power and influence.
Tyler Andrews, Art’s friend for over 28 years, gave a great eulogy full of stories and humor that touched on the many facets of Art’s life.
Art was asked by Suzanne Downing to write theater reviews, a rather niche market. It didn’t contain him for very long though, as he ventured into commentary on all matter of topics, many dealing with labor issues, union tyranny, and government incompetency, but it was rather symbolic of the wide range of interests and talents Art possessed.
In addition to being a theater buff, Art was a Civil War historian, which the Georgia native often referred to by other names, the politest of which, according to Tyler, was “The War Between The States.” Evidently, once he got to talking details of “The War of Northern Aggression” (a term I learned from another native Georgian), it was impossible to get Art to stop, such was his knowledge and passion about the topic.
But Civil War knowledge was just a hobby. To earn money, Art’s job titles included leather clothing business owner, truck driver, general contractor, clothing salesman, janitor, farmer, union foreman, writer, policy advisor, and Director of Labor Relations.
In his spare time, he raised a family, grew roses, built models, played clarinet in a marching band and symphony, and prepared extraordinary dinners accompanied by copious bottles of wine. When Art first moved to Alaska, he and his young family lived in a trailer park in Muldoon.
What a fascinating guy.
He even liked baseball, making mention of the game and his hometown Atlanta Braves in his Must Read Alaska columns, and it was because of the game that I got to know him a little bit. Following one of my baseball-related columns, I received a note from Art, stating how much he liked it and suggesting I write some more on the topic. Receiving a comment like that from a writer like Art Chance was quite a compliment.
Art Chance epitomized the Alaska experience. He lived a full life — not a perfect one by any means, but a full one. There was mutual hatred between him and the Left. He was smart, fearless, opinionated, loving, irascible, and fun.
Tim Barto is Vice President of Alaska Family council. He is also proud to hold the title of Senior Contributor to Must Read Alaska, because the first person to earn that title was Art Chance.
Art’s truly fascinating narratives in MRAK will be sorely missed.
R.I.P. Art!
He had nothing good to say about the unions!!
John please be clear about your statement as Art felt that Union workers & contracts in government employment was BAD! It still is we need to eliminate that work force as it is a burden on the state when contracts are sign into years into the future. The union talks about fair wages yet that’s only for their work force. One wage different skills doesn’t buy it, knowing that productivity is individually different also. Wake up socialism isn’t good in the free marketplace & Art understood that! Get a Life!
Which means he was telling the truth about them.
I’m not against the Unions, they would be working well for their members if its representatives stayed in their own lane; As well as be thoughtful of the employer not just serve the employees they serve. If my private employer gave all of us raises when we asked for more money, eventually we’ll bankrupt our employer and be looking at layoff notices. It’s better to have a job for twenty-five years to thirty years at an appropriate fair wage for employer and employee, because employees get greedy too. Who doesn’t want a higher wage? The unions should remember that about human nature we tend to lean toward not to be content to recognize it when employees are being greedy they like overpaid leaders have an over self importance. Union’s representatives jobs were only to act during a time when employers got greedy themselves cheating their employees out of what they deserved and employers living a luxurious lifestyle while their employees could barely keep the house lights and heat running. I’m okay at 15.75 per hour for the type of work I do. It’s not enough for a single and dependent on their own, so I make adjustments to live on 800-1000 every two weeks. But that’s my own fault but its enough and the continue work, communication. and work relationship skills I am building is more important to me than to make a stink about finding a job at twenty dollars an hour in workplace where I am not supposed to be. I didn’t know God’s Word when I was younger and didn’t know I was supposed to be in the hotel, so twenty years later I could had worked my way up into hotel management for more responsibility, increased job duties, and higher wage if I wasn’t job hopping insecure how others looked at me cleaning rooms.
Even management leaders have to watch their greed level cause they don’t need to always request and give themselves more compensation inflating their value to the company, while they ignore their hardest working and most loyal employees who may also have family members to support, and they are still earning 15.00 after 13 years for some i know. while the manager continues seeing a competitive wage increase for them self when what they earn is more than enough. All While ms downing just published how gluttonous Americans have grown which the obesity also includes how much money people in leadership positions are taking for self when what they are currently earning is really enough.
I can tell you even under the high inflation economy if I was earning 25.00- and greater. I wouldn’t be complaining not earning enough to keep up with the inflation. I wish more workers thought that way to be content when they know what they are earning allows them greater independence. If 25,00 dollars or more isn’t enough today for someone, it just means they more likely have a personal spending problem cause it is enough.
Leaders aren’t Ivy League or university made. A leader is made by where he learned, how he got started, where he started to serve people starting with his family whether it starts serving a spouse and children or for a single his aging parents or adult sibling with children. A leader with such an impressive resume as that list as Art is encouraging. Most leaders today they make the people they serve feel inadequate, even worse while they flaunt their accomplishments as if its greater than anyone else’s accomplishments.
He worked his way up from serving positions he wasn’t visible into highly visible positions of authority. He probably learned that kind of work ethic through his southern baptist upbringing despite the problems of the southern baptists he grew up around as he spoke about during one of his columns. Jesus Christ said, “ But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become Great among you Must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” I think the southern Georgia baptists he lived around certainly had a positive influence on how he saw work and how he lived his life- More positives in him than their religious dogmatic negative theology.
Leaders aren’t Ivy League or university made. A leader is made by where he learned, how he got started, where he started to serve people starting with his family whether it starts serving a spouse and children or for a single his aging parents or adult sibling with children. A leader with such an impressive resume as that list as Art is encouraging. Most leaders today they make the people they serve feel inadequate, even worse while they flaunt their accomplishments as if its greater than anyone else’s accomplishments.
He worked his way up from serving positions he wasn’t visible into highly visible positions of authority. He probably learned that kind of work ethic through his southern baptist upbringing despite the problems of the southern baptists he grew up around as he spoke about during one of his columns. Jesus Christ said, “ But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them. It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become Great among you Must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” I think the southern Georgia baptists he lived around certainly had a positive influence on how he saw work and how he lived his life- More positives in him than their religious dogmatic negative theology as was described in that column.
A life well-lived, Art. You lived up to your last name by pointing out the inconsistencies, the hypocrisy, the greed, the graft, the lies, and the hate of the Left. And you became the second most read columnist, after Suzanne, at MRAK.
Your writings will be talked about for years to come. Thank you for all you did……and for the Truth.
Art was a great adversary of labor. They never knew just how much he taught them along the way.
As Jess L. Carr Teamsters 959 used to say,” when you have them by the balls — their hearts and minds will follow” Art taught these knuckle busters a thing or two along the way. I am sure there are a few that respected his position and style.
Art Chance was a fighter, produced results and could execute a plan no matter the obstacles along the way.
He will be sorely missed.
Great job Art.
I will always admire your knowledge and talent and strive to be as watchful and informed as you always seemed to be about real issues that will have an impact on my generations to come.
It was an honor just to hear him take the time to converse about anything at Cabela’s. Safe travels my friend.
Art was my good friend I will miss him it was just a week before his death that I last talked to him. I got from that conversation no inclination that that maybe my last conversation with this dear friend. Art I thank God for my continued thoughts of you & what I learned from you. You will carry on through the wisdom you shared unselfishly over the years. Thank you Tim for just a scintilla of this great man’s life told in this article. God be with you Art. I hope to see you again in my future! To his Family may this time eternally grant you all the great memories of his love & your loss. Peace be with you all. Amen.
I am sure there are a lot of leftists celebrating today.
Art always told the truth, and the truth hurts. Especially those that want to live in la-la land where nothing but good happens because they think it should.
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Art was one of the good ones. Always to the point, always ruffling the feathers of those that refused to see things from more than one perspective.
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I did not know Art Chance personally, but I did read everything he wrote for MRAK. While his style could use a bit more polish, it was spot on.
The world is made a bit smaller with his passing.
I wouldn’t go that far but it is your opinion. Before he was let go from the state for his insatiable appetite to verbally threaten to screw peoples girlfriends, he was entertaining to say the least. We never knew what was coming out of his mouth next. I always felt he could have used some tact when dealing with folks instead of slamming the door in their face. But that was Art. Like him or hate him. I often wondered what caused his bitterness. It lead to his undoing politically. But he could have cared less.
Art was never fired, he always quit and the final departure was his retirement from the State of Alaska. No one ever had the guts to fire him. In fact, they would have had to hire him to fire himself. Milk toast, chicken shits.
And just how many times was HIS wife threatened to be screwed by his enemies just because she was Art Chance’s wife? I can tell you for a fact that this occurred many times from those esteemed union goons way before he ever adopted the tactic himself.
Greg, You are an idiot. Try being intelligent. Art would want that for you.
Dear Suzanne, Could you consider not posting the haters? I think Art deserved at least that much respect for all his unpaid service to MRAK and the people of the State of Alaska. Specifically, since he can no longer defend himself or take on the trolls. The harassment to our family MUST stop now. He was fearless and our family is reeling from the loss.
To My Loving Husband,
Good night, Good Sir. I will see you again. I have no more words.
RIP Mr Chance. I really enjoyed reading your articles and the no nonsense way you spoke. You will be truly missed. My deepest sympathy to the family❤️
I did appreciate Art’s articles and agreed with most. However, he did have a hate for all unions. He lumped them all together as a greedy force out to rip off the public. I tried to explain my position, especially with the Law Enforcement Unions. Sadly all I got was name calling. That’s okay, that’s lively debate where you bring forth opposing opinions and let readers decide. This is how it should be, rest in peace.
Yep. He was good at that.
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