by Jeff Zidek, for the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association

Washington, PA — Thomas John “Chad” Chadwick, 76, of North Huntingdon, Pa., died Nov. 17, 2014.

He was born Nov. 5, 1938, in McKeesport, the son of the late Chester and Mary Lakatosh Chadwick.

Mr. Chadwick was a longtime owner of Standardbreds and a member of the United States Trotting Association and the Meadows Standardbred Owners Association. His main trainer for several decades was Dane Snyder, with horses based at The Meadows. He also raced in Indiana, Ohio, New Jersey and Virginia.

His top horse was Blueridge Abigail, a dual-state champion. After winning Virginia stake championships as a 2- and 3-year-old at Colonial Downs, she went on to win the Indiana Sire Stakes older trotting mare title in 2013.

According to Tom King, Mr. Chadwick’s longtime partner on many of his horses, “He would spend countless hours studying the sales books. He knew families, and knew everything about it. He was famous for how he marked his book, and people would always want to borrow his book to see what he liked. He was a real student of the business. I never saw anybody more liked by more people. He was genuinely a nice guy.”

Mr. Chadwick was a member of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church, and the Glassport Polish Club. He was a pharmacist at UPMC McKeesport and retired after 39 years of service. He was an Army veteran.

He is survived by his wife of 27 years, Marie Catherine Stashko; stepson, Gene (Kristi) McCahill; stepdaughter, Lee (Thomas) Brown; grandchildren, Alexandria, Mary Lee and Jacob Brown; and many cousins.

Friends are welcome from 2-7 p.m. Thursday (Nov. 20) at the Gilbert Funeral Home, 6028 Smithfield St., Boston (Elizabeth Township), PA. Private funeral service will be held in the funeral home chapel. Private interment will be in the St. John the Baptist Cemetery, North Versailles. Condolences may be made at gilbertfuneralhomeandcrematory.com.