Nancy Chaffee, 73; Ranked 4th in Women’s Tennis in ’51

Nancy Chaffee, who was once ranked as high as No. 4 in the world in tennis, died in Coronado on Sunday of complications from cancer. She was 73.

She was diagnosed with the disease on Valentine’s Day, according to her husband of 11 years, veteran network sportscaster Jack Whitaker.

Chaffee, who was raised in Ventura, played tennis during the era of Maureen Connolly, Doris Hart and Shirley Fry. She reached the semifinals of what is now called the U.S. Open in 1950 as an unseeded player. A year later, at that event, Chaffee and her partner, Patricia Todd, lost in the doubles final to Fry and Hart.

From 1950 to 1952, Chaffee won the U.S. women’s national indoors singles titles, which included a victory over legend Althea Gibson in the 1950 final.

Her highest world ranking came in 1951 just after Connolly, Hart and Fry.

Although Chaffee won the national girls’ 18-and-under title in 1947, she didn’t compete at Wimbledon until 1950.

A Los Angeles sportswriter helped her raise the necessary funds by writing a column, suggesting a “Chaffee to Wimbledon fund.”

In 1951, Chaffee married baseball star Ralph Kiner. She is survived by their children, Michael, Scott and Kathryn, who is married to golf pro Robin Freeman; three granddaughters; and two grandsons.

In later years, Chaffee was active in fund-raising. In 1992, she helped start an amateur mixed doubles tournament in East Hampton, N.Y., raising funds for the American Cancer Society.

A funeral service will be held Friday in Palm Desert, Whitaker said.