Roger Chastain, Brandi's dad, dies

April 8, 2003 - Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA)
San Jose CyberRays News Release


SAN JOSE (April 8, 2003) – The tailgate barbecue fire was as hot as the auction bidding Saturday evening at Spartan Stadium. But Roger Chastain kept topping competitors' bids until finally he won the prize he sought: ribs like he once enjoyed at his late wife Lark's tailgates at CyberRays home games where they watched their daughter Brandi play.

Within hours of the conclusion CyberRays' season opener, however, Chastain himself was stricken. After attending the team's post-game party at a Campbell restaurant, he called 911 to report symptoms of a heart attack and was taken to a San Jose hospital. He was later transferred to the University of California, San Francisco, where he underwent open-heart surgery Sunday afternoon. Although he regained consciousness briefly Monday night while Brandi and her brother Chad were with him, Chastain died about 4:30 a.m. today.

``He wanted Stephanie (Chisar, a CyberRays volunteer) to wait on him and make him some gourmet pork ribs,'' recalled Wendy Hill of Sacramento, coordinator of the CyberRays' Community Outreach Team. Hill had organized the special tailgate and auction before Saturday's game in honor of Lark, who died suddenly last September, to benefit the American Stroke Association. The corner of the parking area where the tailgate was held was where the Chastains had always parked, and it was renamed Lark's Corner on Saturday.

``Roger thought it was wonderful that we were doing the tailgate because Lark had always organized such wonderful tailgates, but that it just wasn't the same without Lark's laughter'' Hill said. ``It was a hard day for him.''

Chastain, 58, was a former marine and owned his own tile business. But he was remembered for his hugs, friendship and devotion to his children.

``He would squeeze me so tight I wouldn't be able to breathe for a few minutes,'' CyberRays general manager Marlene Bjornsrud said.

CyberRays defender Kelly Lindsey had often been engulfed by Roger's arms, but she said his friendship had an even longer reach.

``All of us on the team felt like his daughters because he treated us that way,'' she said. ``Lark had just passed away last fall, but when I was in surgery, he was one of the first people to call to see how I was doing. It was so special hearing his voice on my phone mail after the surgery when he was going through his own hard times. He would call me or I would call him sometimes during the off-season. It was a cool father-figure friendship to have.''

Bjornsrud said ``it was touching that Lark and Roger made the CyberRays a part of their family, and we made them part of ours. He was our soccer dad. Now both of them are gone. I don't know how we will recover from that.''

Son-in-law Jerry Smith, Brandi Chastain's husband, said his most lasting memory of Roger was how devoted he was to his daughter and son, Chad, with whom he watched Saturday's game.

``Roger was a marine – a very patriotic person – and any time Brandi played for a U.S. team, he followed the game,'' Smith said. ``When I see the pictures of him and Lark and Brandi and Chad with that gold medal around Brandi's neck (from the 1996 Atlanta Olympics) – I've never seen anybody so proud of a child. He loved his children and lived vicariously through them. It's very appropriate that one of last things he was able to do was sit next to Chad at a CyberRays game and watch Brandi play.''

Memorial service arrangements will be announced on www.sjcyberrays.com when they are completed. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Children's Cancer Research Fund by mailing checks to the CyberRays office at 1991 Park Ave., San Jose CA 95126.

You may also go to the website to send condolences to the Chastain family.



Women's United Soccer Association Stories from April 8, 2003


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