Obituary of Chandler C. Tedholm

Chandler Charles Tedholm, 65, passed away at home on Monday, January 16, 2017. A service in remembrance of his life will be held on Sunday, January 22 at 5:30 pm at the Norman Dean Home for Services, 16 Righter Avenue, Denville, NJ. Public memorial visitation will be from 5:00 to 8:00 pm that evening. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in his name to the American Cancer Society or the American Diabetes Association by way of inmemoryof-memorial.org. Please share your memories at www.normandean.com Chandler was born on July 29, 1951 in Chelsea, Mass. to Charles Edward and Jean Burhans Tedholm. As the child of a naval officer, he spent his childhood in various locations, including Bremerton, Wash., San Francisco, Calif. and Sasebo, Japan. He spent his high school years in Falls Church, Va., graduating from J.E. B. Stuart High School in 1969. Upon high school graduation, he was awarded a large scholarship to Yale University. After graduating from Yale with a B.A. in English in 1973, Chandler embarked on a year of travel around America. Upon his return to Virginia in 1974, he began a 27-year career as a manager with AT&T/Lucent Technologies in Richmond. In this capacity, he traveled globally, enhancing his reputation as a knowledgeable technical marketing professional and entertaining public speaker. In 2009, he launched a new career in the insurance business. Chandler married Carolyn Elizabeth Chastain in 1981, and their first child, Miranda Joy, was born in Richmond in 1983. In connection with a significant promotion, AT&T transferred Chandler to New Jersey in 1985. A second child, Edward Chandler (“Teddy”), was born in Denville, N.J. in 1991. An avid baseball fan all his life, Chandler particularly enjoyed following the New York Yankees. Always a voracious reader with wide-ranging interests, he was a respected Civil War and military history scholar. Chandler’s novel, Irrepressible Conflict (available on Amazon.com), combined his passion for the Civil War with his love of writing. Chandler had a special gift for wit and for compassionately engaging with nearly everyone he met. He was passionate about politics and, in 2008, ran for the U.S. House of Representatives as an independent candidate under the slogan “For the People, For a Change!” Disturbed by the contemporary political situation, Chandler was an active advocate for many causes, including equal human rights and compassionate social and legal justice programs. Chandler was a veritable font of creative and mischievous ideas, as well as interesting stories from his travels. He was a bright light at gatherings, often providing the loudest laugh. He was always ready for a sing-along –in tune or otherwise – with eclectic musical tastes ranging from The Grateful Dead and folk music to classical composers including Bach, Beethoven and Bartok. Predeceased by his parents, he is survived by his wife and children; a sister, Cory Ann Tedholm; a niece and nephew, Katherine and Stephen Chastain; and innumerable friends and former colleagues.