Community Still In Shock Mourning Death Of Gen. Dick Chastain

It’s been two days, but the community is still coming to grips with the untimely and tragic deaths from an early Saturday explosion.

According to the Montgomery County Coroner, retired Gen. Dick Chastain and companion Marilyn Fox, 91, were killed in a blast that leveled the home in the 2900 block of 400 North around 8 a.m. Saturday. According to preliminary reports Chastain’s adult son David was flown by lifeline to an Indianapolis hospital.

The cause is under investigation, but officials are reportedly investigating the possibility of a gas leak. The explosion leveled the house.

“The sheriff’s office will continue to assist the Crawfordsville Fire Department and the Indiana State Fire Marshal,” Montgomery County Sheriff Ryan Needham said in a release.

A 90^th birthday celebration had been planned for Saturday afternoon at the Darlington Community Center. Chastain was known by many and a large crowd was expected.

“The community will be saddened by this tragic loss,” County Commissioner John Frey told The Paper. “I can’t believe this has happened.”

Chastain has served a number of roles in the Montgomery County community. He was a member of the county council for more than a decade. That’s where current county attorney Dan Taylor got to know him closely.

“He was very serious about his dedication to public service, and he brought with him an impressive level of professionalism,” Taylor said Saturday. “We were fortunate to have him on our county council. He was also very fun to be around. His wit and good nature helped him be the great leader he was. On a personal level, he made me better, and my estimation is that he had that effect on most everyone with whom he interacted.”

County manager Tom Klein agreed.

“He was on the council before I got here, but I know he was well respected,” Klein told The Paper. “He was a conciliator and a good member of the council.”

“Dick was a great public servant, served many years as general in the National Guard,” retired Sen. Phil Boots said. “The National Guard guys loved him. He wanted to do whatever he could to make Montgomery County better.”

Boots and Chastain were part of Kiwanis for a long time.

“There’s just a lot of things I could say about the guy,” Boots said. “He was well loved both here and around the state.”

Crawfordsville Mayor Todd Barton spoke for many.

“Our entire community is profoundly saddened by this tragedy,” he told The Paper. “General Chastain dedicated his life to serving our nation and community, and he set the bar high for everyone whose life he touched. His legacy of service will continue to serve as an inspiration for all of us. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, and the family of his wife during this incredibly difficult time.”

County GOP Chair Jim Johnson echoed those sentiments.

“Our hearts ache for everyone who knew Dick,” Johnson said. “He was everything you want in an elected official. He showed us what genuine dedicated public service looks like and he set the example for how to serve the right way . . . the way he could use humor to ease tension in a meeting or be frank in making a point are just a few of the unique qualities that made him such a valuable and effective member of the council and within our local party.  We are absolutely devastated and heartbroken by this news. We give great thanks for his service to Montgomery County for so many years.”

Chastain turned 90 on Aug. 4. He was born in the southern Indiana community of Salem and graduated from Campellsburg High School in 1951. He graduated from Purdue University with a bachelor of science degree in agriculture.

He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1955 and worked his way through the ranks to general.