John Earle Chason

John Earle Chason passed away peacefully on Friday, June 5, 2026. Born October 22, 1937, to John Chason and Mazie Earle Chason of Bay Minette, Alabama, his 88 years on earth were centered around his family and his community.

Johnny graduated from Baldwin County High School in 1956 as Senior Class President, and by 1961 had earned both undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama. While in Tuscaloosa, he married his high school sweetheart, Carrol Anne Hastie, on May 16, 1958. They welcomed their first child there a year later. Upon returning to Bay Minette after law school, Johnny joined his father in a firm that would eventually become Chason & Chason. He tried hundreds of cases over a career spanning more than 50 years, while proudly serving 35 of those years as the Municipal Judge in Bay Minette as well. He also served as President of the Baldwin County Bar Association, Vice-President and member of the Alabama State Bar Board of Bar Commissioners, and was a Charter Member of the Alabama Law Foundation Board of Trustees. He was highly-respected throughout the legal community for his professionalism and commitment to integrity, earning trust from colleagues and clients throughout the state.

Outside the office, Johnny was a devoted husband and the most remarkable role model to his three children, Anne, John, and Susan. Exemplifying love, faith, and service to others, Johnny often combined these three things to enrich the hearts and satisfy the appetites of friends and strangers alike. For decades, he was active in the Bay Minette First Methodist Church and the Methodist Men's Club. He became somewhat of a fixture in the church kitchen, flipping countless pancakes and baking scratch biscuits on a regular basis, ultimately leading to a newly remodeled kitchen being dedicated in his honor. Whether in front of a stove or a barbecue pit, he loved strapping on an apron to prepare meals for family gatherings, fine-dining fundraisers, and community events, and he was widely known for his food and fellowship.

While Johnny was a wonderful carpenter with a passion for woodworking, he was even more adept at constructing with words than tools. His penchant for storytelling was impressive, revealing his strong desire to bring joy to others through laughter as he built animated narratives of his life experiences. He had a natural gift for "holding court," in more ways than one.

Johnny was also an avid hunter and fisherman who enjoyed spending time outdoors year round in Baldwin County. From the northern woods, swamps, and creeks to the southern shores of Perdido Bay, he moved through each season with excitement. His favorite of these areas was his home in Blacksher, Alabama, where he and Carrol Anne permanently relocated after his retirement. At that time, they became members of Montgomery Hill Baptist Church, where he will be laid to rest next to Carrol Anne. Those who loved him find comfort in the thought of her there, smiling with open arms.

Johnny is preceded in death by his parents, John and Mazie Chason, his wife, Carrol Anne Chason, and his great-grandson, Wells Wainwright. He is survived by his three children: Anne Shepherd (Chuck), John Chason (Vivian), and Susan Chambers (Sam); two brothers: Allan Chason (Nancy) and Larry Chason (Katie); seven grandchildren: Rachel Shepherd Wainwright (Morgan), Chason Shepherd, Katelyn Chason Kalogridis (Gregory), Christine Chason Dyas (Alexander), Mazie Chambers Gresham (Charlie), Maggie Chambers Costanza (Tony), and Sam Chambers; and five great-grandchildren: Hollie Shepherd, Marley and Eloise Gresham, Henry Dyas, and Stella Costanza.

Serving as pallbearers at a private graveside ceremony will be his beloved nephews, Judson Chason, Wesley Chason, Collin Chason, Will Chason, Andrew Chason, and Matt Achimon, all of whom he loved as his own. 

A Memorial Service celebrating Johnny's life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at First Methodist Church in Bay Minette with the family receiving visitors at a reception immediately following the service. 

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made in Johnny's memory to the Montgomery Hill Memorial Association or to First Methodist Church of Bay Minette, as both congregations nourished his soul. 

Montgomery Hill Memorial Association, c/o John Chason (Treasurer), 400 West Second Street. Bay Minette, Alabama 36507 or First Methodist Church, P.O. Box 338, Bay Minette, Alabama 36507 or online at fmcbayminette.org/giving

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Earle Chason, please visit our floral store.