Marcelle Chase's life was indelibly shaped by her childhood experiences during WWII. Born on January 18, 1935, she was five years old when Germany invaded Belgium. Two years later her father, a newspaper editor, was taken from his family and endured three years in concentration camps.

At a 2012 Veteran's Day event, she spoke movingly of her WWII memories: Five Years - from Occupation to Liberation, which can be found on YouTube.

Marcelle received a Doctor of Law from the University of Brussels. She then moved to the U.S. and earned a Master of Library Science degree from Ball State University in Indiana.

Marcelle practiced law in Belgium and France before meeting Jim, and after moving to the U.S. worked as a Librarian in the Saginaw County Jail in Michigan for two years, an experience she considered very rewarding.

After moving to Arizona she was a Reference Librarian at the Arizona State University college of Law Library for more than ten years where she published articles on animal rights and international law.

Throughout her life Marcelle dedicated her attention and donations to support of the environment, animal rights and against animal cruelty and denounced racism in all its forms. Her 16-year-old Chihuahua rescue Paco was her beloved companion.

She was preceded in death by her husband James Keller Chase, two siblings, and parents Clovis Zephrin and Marcelle Catherine Dernancourt.

Surviving family members include a son and his family, sister-in-law, nephew and niece.

A memorial service was held on April 18, 2026.