Henry B. Chalmers ’40

Hank, a longtime resident of New Orleans, died Jan. 11, 2007.

He prepared at Pawling School and was preceded at Princeton by his relatives T.P. Handy ’13, Alan R. Chalmers ’15, T.K. Chalmers ’33, and J.G. Chalmers ’34. At Princeton, he majored in geological engineering. He also attended Texas State Schools of Mines and received a certificate in paralegal studies from Tulane University and a bachelor’s in sociology from the University of New Orleans.

Hank served as a lieutenant with the 129th Army Air Force during World War II. He continued in the Army Air Force Reserve, retiring as a colonel. He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for Meritorious Service.

From 1950 to 1984 he was employed by Shell Oil Co. in oil exploration. As he reported in our 50th-reunion book, “I finally got free and clear [for the travel, sports and jazz he loved]. It’s been fun, and if the rewards in the next life are half as good, I’ll count myself extremely blessed.”

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Patricia Everet Silo Chalmers; six sons, Henry, Christopher, Gordon, Quentin, Robert, and James; three daughters, Charlotte Smithers, Wendy Dickey, and Stephanie Barat O’Rourke; a sister, Faith Daiak; 23 grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.