Kern County CA Obituary Project Obituaries.....Chaney, Homer Campbell  October 22 2004
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K T bluewolf@onemain.com October 26, 2004, 9:05 pm

The Bakersfield Californian 
Homer Campbell Chaney
June 19, 1924 October 22, 2004

Born in Los Angeles, Homer Chaney spent his childhood in an idyllic Santa Ana 
surrounded by orange groves. When he was in high school, the family moved to 
San Marino. He graduated from South Pasadena High and entered Dartmouth 
College as a member of the Class of 1946. 

But Uncle Sam called him to military service. Homer served as a combat soldier 
in the 3rd Army under General George Patton in France and Germany. When the 
European conflict ended, he managed a ski resort in Switzerland and taught 
U.S. soldiers in Vienna, Austria before returning to the United States in 
1946. He resumed his education at Dartmouth College, earning his B.A. summa 
cum laude in History and membership in the Phi Beta Kappa Society.

Following his marriage in 1950 to Anita Vollmer and a brief stint selling life 
insurance in Los Angeles, Homer pursued his M.A. and Ph.D at Stanford 
University. In 1959 he came to Bakersfield to teach at Fresno States off-
campus center. In 1964-65 he studied statistical geography at Northwestern 
University on a National Science Foundation grant.

In 1968 Homer married Lois Newell ONeal, and in 1970 he became an original 
member of the Cal State Bakersfield faculty. He served four years as chair of 
the History Department and three years as a CSU Academic Senator.

Teaching provided the greatest joy in his life. Devoted to his students, he 
took special pride in knowing that so many of them were the first in their 
families to earn a college degree. In 1993 Homer retired early on a golden 
handshake, but he loved teaching so much that he gave two successive years to 
the university as an unpaid professor. He was one of the first professors to 
reach off-campus students via the universitys television channel.

From 1995 until his failing health prevented him from giving further community 
service, Homer served on the boards of the CSUB 60+ Club and the Henrietta 
Weill Memorial Child Guidance Clinic. He was also a member an an ardent 
supporter of the League of Women Voters. As a member of the Dartmouth Alumni 
Association, he enjoyed interviewing young local applicants to Dartmouth 
College.

Homer is survived by his wife, Lois; three children: Denise Jones, Christopher 
Chaney and Cameron Chaney, and seven grandchildren.

He respected all faiths for the guidance and strength they give to their 
followers; he believed in one universal power governing all of humanity. A non-
denominational memorial service will be held at CSUBs Student Union at 10:00 
a.m., Saturday, November 6, 2004.

No flowers, please. Donations in Homers memory may be made either to the CSUB 
Foundation, 9001 Stockdale Hwy., 93311 and/or to the League of Women Voters of 
Bakersfield, P.O. Box 132, 93302.


Additional Comments:
Volunteer submission - No relation to deceased.

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