NEW ORLEANS OPERA MOURNS THE PASSING OF BOARD MEMBER EDGAR L. “DOOKY” CHASE III 

NEW ORLEANS (February 22, 2024) – The New Orleans Opera Association (NOOA) is deeply saddened with the news that board member Edgar L. “Dooky” Chase III has passed away. Mr. Chase had served as an active member of NOOA’s Board of Trustees since July 2021.  

“New Orleans has lost a great humanitarian who went to great lengths to uplift his community,” says NOOA Board Chair Emmet Geary. “Dooky left an indelible mark on New Orleans Opera as a devoted member of our Board and his legacy will endure in the countless lives he has touched within the New Orleans Opera community and across the city.” 

Dooky’s unwavering generosity was widely felt across NOOA, with his support spanning from making cultural experiences accessible to youth to his hospitality toward production artists. An advocate of NOOA’s education and engagement initiative, Dooky sponsored 100 students to see the Metropolitan Opera’s 2021 simulcast of Terence Blanchard’s Champion which made its NOOA debut in March 2018. He welcomed artists with open arms to his family’s iconic restaurant, Dooky Chase Restaurant – most recently to host artists for NOOA’s production of Blue in November 2023. Dooky’s Board duties included his service on its Diversity Committee and Transition Committee. 

The New Orleans Opera Association extends its heartfelt condolences to the Chase family, friends, and colleagues.