Thomas Roy Chatham

It is with great sadness that the family of Thomas “Tom” Roy Chatham announces his passing on March 1 at the age of 85.

A native of California, Thomas was born May 19, 1932, and grew up in Ocean Park, Santa Monica, where he played football for Santa Monica High School and graduated in 1950. There he met and later married his high school sweetheart, Jean McCollum, whom he was married to for 42 years.

Tom attended USC on a football scholarship and played for the army at Fort Lewis, Washington State. He was a military police officer in the Korean War while stationed in the Bikini Atolls.

Tom and Jean raised their family in Pacific Palisades, and he was a faculty member at Palisades High School from 1965-93. Tom had a variety of jobs over the years: teacher, athletic director, boys dean, counselor, career advisor and golf coach. In summer, he was the principal at the Venice Skill Center.

Tom was involved with his son’s scouting Palisades Troop 400 in the 1960s.

Tom enjoyed home improvement projects, summer camp trips, RVing, coaching, mentoring, counseling and traveling.

A few years after Jean’s passing, Tom ran into a school mate, Sandy Brown Jordan, at a Santa Monica High School reunion, and that was the beginning of a courtship that led to an 18-year-long marriage. He lived in Port Hueneme for 18 years with Sandy.

He is survived by his children from his first wife Jean (deceased), Jeff (daughter-in-law Cathy Chatham), Lisa and Devon, and grandson John, and his current wife Sandy Chatham, and his step-children, Denee, Roni, and grandchildren Aliah, Nisa, Paris, Laurent, and great-grandchildren, Khloe and Eva Rose.

Tom was a respected teacher, loving father, husband and grandfather. He will be remembered for his devotion and generosity to his friends and family.

Memorial services will be on April 7 at 1 p.m. at Pacific Palisades Presbyterian Church.

In lieu of flowers, consider a donation to one of Tom’s charities: Ventura County Rescue Mission, 235 East 6th Street, Oxnard, CA 93030.

Arrangements are under the direction of the Ted Mayr Funeral Home, 3150 Loma Vista Road, Ventura, CA 93003.

Condolences may be sent to tedmayrfuneralhome.com.