Eloise Law Chambers

Eloise Law Chambers passed away of natural causes at her home in Caldwell, Idaho Friday, February 21, 2020, one month before her 96th birthday. Eloise was born March 21, 1924 in Delta, Utah to Walton Legrand and Viola Law (Turner). She was the third of five children born to Legrand and Viola.

Eloise attended Delta high school and was an active member of her school and community. She was a member of the school’s orchestra (violin), captain of the Drum and Bugle Corps (snare drum and bells), and during her senior year played the lead role in Thornton Wilder’s “Our Town”. She competed in high school sports as a member of the tennis and softball teams, and was also a member of her high school and college rally squads.

Eloise developed a passion for dancing of all styles and was an accomplished dancer. She was captain of a tap dancing troupe, the “Tap-Ettes”, and taught dancing classes and choreographed dance routines for several school programs. On one enterprising occasion, she gave a class mate private dance instruction in exchange for violin lessons from her class mate’s mother.

Eloise’s mother taught her some piano basics, and Eloise developed a natural talent for playing the piano without further formal training. She learned to play many musical selections by ear. Her high school music director requested that she play the piano during lunch and for special occasions.

Eloise attended Branch Agricultural College (now, Southern Utah University) in Cedar City, Utah, where she met her husband George Gerhardt Chambers. At one particular USO dance sponsored for military officers stationed in Cedar City, Eloise recounted how this handsome and charming Army officer approached her and requested what was to become one of their many dances together. George had been taught how to dance by his older sister, and Eloise was impressed.

George and Eloise were married January 8, 1944 in Delta, Utah. George was born in Portland, Oregon, September 2, 1920, spent most of his early years in Texas, and had recently graduated from Officers Candidate School in Pensacola, Florida. George and Eloise were blessed with three sons and a daughter.

After WW II, George’s military service and subsequent career as a business executive took the family to Bakersfield (CA), Salt Lake City (UT), Boise (ID), Edmonds (WA), and in 1959 to Portland (OR), where the family finally settled. George passed away unexpectedly in September 1976 in Florida while the two of them were vacationing. Eloise subsequently worked in Portland for an insurance company executive and for the local school district. She relocated to Caldwell in 2015 to be close to her daughter Carol Blaisdell.

Eloise loved to read and was regularly seen with books in hand wherever she went. She was a patron of the arts and, whenever possible, attended concerts, theatrical productions, operas, and ballets. She was an avid NBA enthusiast and each year followed her favorite teams up through the playoff and championship games.

Eloise was immersed in all aspects of her children’s busy lives. She inspired them to find joy in life and to live it to the fullest. They all attest to having been blessed with the best mother in the world.
She enjoyed the challenge of solving newspaper crossword puzzles, and on more than one occasion proudly announced her avocation as “wordsmith”. The week before her passing, she challenged her son and daughter to a Scrabble game (a clear favorite of hers), and with a little coaching and support from them, emerged as the clear victor of that final contest.

Eloise was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Walton Legrand Law, Jr. (“Bill”), her sister Roberta Davison, and her son David Walton Chambers.

She is survived by her sons Robert Michael Chambers and John Allan Chambers, her daughter Carol Elizabeth Chambers (Blaisdell), and her sisters, Merlene Malone and Norma Jean Mingione.

A family graveside dedicatory service will be held Wednesday, February 26, 2020 at 2:00 pm in Portland (Finley Sunset Hills), with a memorial service beginning at 11:00 a.m. Saturday March 21, 2020 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 4195 SW 99th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97005.


 

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