Max Chancellor

Max Chancellor, aged 84, died peacefully on May 18, 2023 in Salem, Oregon due to complications following a stroke. He was surrounded by his loving family.

Max was born in Muncie, Indiana on July 26, 1938 to Roy and Ruth (Collins) Chancellor. His family moved to Oregon when he was 6 years old. He spent his formative years exploring the outdoors on his family’s ranch. 

He was 18 years old when he joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following the fellowship he received from playing fast pitch all-church softball. His performance as a pitcher led his team to the all church softball championship in 1958.

He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from San Jose State College. Following his graduation from college he began a job at Fairchild Semiconductor in the Silicon Valley. He was part of the early innovation of the semiconductor industry.

He was drafted into the army in 1962. He served 2 years in Fort Gordon, Georgia as an Army Medic. He performed autopsies and worked in the medical lab.

He married Carol Jean Schwendiman on October 29, 1962 in the Logan LDS Temple. Following their marriage Max reported to basic training for the army while Carol finished her semester at Brigham Young University. They spent sixty wonderful years together and had 5 children: 4 boys and 1 girl. 

Following Max’s discharge from the army, Max and Carol moved to San Jose California. Over the course of his career he worked for many semiconductor companies including Electronic Arrays, Monolithic Memories, Advanced Micro Devices and Maxim Integrated Products. His work took him to many places around the world including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, India, and the Philippines.

The family lived in both Hong Kong and Malaysia but Max and Carol primarily raised their children in Fremont, California.

In 1998 following a long career in the semiconductor industry, Max and Carol retired to Salem, Oregon. Over the course of the past 25 years Max enjoyed hunting and fishing with his sons. He also enjoyed spending time with his children and grandchildren whom he loved dearly. He had a great love of old movies and especially loved John Wayne. Those who knew him well knew he carried a great admiration for Donald Trump, NASA, and Louis L'Amour.

He is survived by his wife Carol of Salem, Oregon, his son David (Stacy) of Franktown, Colorado, his daughter Becky (Jason) of Salem, Oregon, his son Stephen (Kori) of Dallas, Oregon and his brother Dennis (Kathryn) of Lake Stevens, Washington. He is also survived by 18 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.

He was preceded in death by two of his sons, Kevin (Danielle) and Matthew (Pam), and his sister Jean Matthews, nee Chancellor.

His death leaves a hole in our hearts and our family. We will miss his stories, his hugs and his expressions of love for each of us. His tremendous work ethic taught each of his children the importance of working hard to achieve your goals and dreams. His loss affects each of us deeply but we know that he is in a better place enjoying time with family that passed before him including his two sons, Kevin and Matt. We are grateful for the knowledge that families are forever and that we will see Max again one day.

A memorial to celebrate and remember Max’s life will be held on Thursday, May 25th, 2023 at 2pm at the LDS Chapel on 2530 Boone Rd. in Salem, Oregon 97306. Please join us in celebrating his life and love.