The matriarch of the Chance family of ride manufacturing fame, Marjorie (Marge) Chance passed away peacefully on March 15. She was 93.

Marjorie (née Westwood) enjoyed 63 years of marriage to Harold Chance before his passing in 2010, and was there when he founded the family firm back in 1961. Harold and Marge raised five children while developing what would become America’s largest builder of amusement rides, Chance Manufacturing Company in Wichita, Kansas.

When Harold retired from the company in 1985, his son Richard (Dick) took over the business. Marge was instrumental in the early days of the family’s ventures into the amusement industry. This began when Harold purchased a travelling carnival in 1954 and Marge operated the cotton candy wagon. Harold revolutionised the carnival industry by inventing the trailer mounted amusement ride, which made the process of setting up, taking down and transporting such attractions much faster and more efficient.

Yet none of Harold’s success and strong relationships could have been built without the support of Marge along the way. Once they had sold off the carnival business and got settled back into life and work in Wichita, Marge became very involved in humanitarian efforts. As a nursing school graduate, she was drawn to caring for people and became the first female president of the St Francis Hospital advisory board.

As the Chance Manufacturing Company began to celebrate more success, Harold and Marge fell in love with a vacation destination that ultimately became their second home in Treasure Cay, Bahamas. Even after Harold’s passing. Marge continued to spend about six months of the year living in their Bahamas villa.

Marge is preceded in death by her father John Westwood and mother Marian Westwood, her brothers John and Jerry Westwood and sister Marian Flattery, her husband Richard “Harold” Chance, daughters Katherine Marie Chance and Nancy Stadnyck, and grandsons TJ Hernandez and Michael Chance. She is lovingly remembered by her brother Joe (Sharon) Westwood, her son Richard (Carol) Chance, daughters Susan (Bill) Chew, Judy (Bruce) Nielson, and son-in-law Doug Stadnyck, 12 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren as well as nieces, nephews, other relatives and many, many friends.

Main picture: Marge and Harold Chance (centre) with their children