~ IN MEMORY ~
Navy veteran, WA/DL Capt. Donald Ray Chapman
November 23, 1941 ~ January 17, 2026
Don joined Western Airlines 04-21-1969 based LAX, and
retired with Delta Air Lines based Atlanta.
He is survived by his wife Julie, and by his daughter and his stepsons
and their families.
Don had most recently resided in Georgia: 850 Happy Valley Cir, Newnan, GA 30263.
The family will celebrate Don’s life with a small private
ceremony.
PCN memorial site
Donald Ray Chapman obituary
Donald Ray Chapman passed away on January 17,
2026, after a long battle with Parkinson’s
Disease. Don is survived by his beautiful wife
Julie Chapman, daughter Lisa Dawson, and three
stepsons Jon, Jason and Jeff Salyards. He was the
adoring grandfather of 10 grandchildren.
He was proud of his service as a Naval Aviator
with 199 combat missions in Vietnam. He retired as a
Navy Captain, after 31 years of service in 1994.
One of his last requests was for the words,
“Fighter Pilot,” to be part of his tombstone
inscription. He was also a retired airline pilot with
over 30 years of experience finally serving as a
Captain with Delta Airlines.
His contributions to the community are too many to
accurately list here. He was a long-time member and former President of the
Newnan Kiwanis Club. He was a proud member of the Tuskegee Airmen. He was also
dedicated to serving with AMVETS. He frequently gave presentations to high
school
students about his experiences in the military.
And if you went to High School anywhere in the
South Atlanta suburbs, you likely have a small
yellow card with Don’s 10 Rules for Success. For
these contributions and numerous other
accomplishments, he was honored as the Coweta
County Citizen of the Year in 2009.
I’m certain that almost all of the people who read
these words have two things in common. First, at one point in your life, Don
bought you lunch, helped you pay a bill, or provided resources for you to
pursue a dream. His generosity, in this regard, was legendary. Second, at
several points in your life, Don probably told you a joke. Often it would begin
with, “Did you hear the one about ...” His humor, in this regard, was also
legendary.
In lieu of flowers or any donations, you can honor
Don’s life by doing two things. First, he would
be delighted for each one of us to carry on his
legacy by providing a random act of kindness. For
the stranger in the restaurant, buy lunch; for the
person next to you in line, pay for their
groceries, or for a friend in need, pay one of
their monthly bills. Second, it would warm Don’s
heart if, sometime in the next month, you turned
to a stranger, your server at lunch, or the store
clerk behind the counter, and said, “Did you hear
the one about ...”
The family will have a small private ceremony. Don
hosted a large party for his 80th birthday after learning of his diagnosis.
He was very clear that he wanted this celebration,
rather than a traditional funeral, to be his way
of saying thank you and goodbye to all of his
friends and family.
I had the pleasure to fly with Don and he was the consummate professional and made me laugh! One day in Denver we took a "joke delay" at the gate to finish one of his famous long tongue twitter jokes.
ReplyDeleteOn delays he would walk up and down the aisle engaging with passengers to make the delay go down a little easier. That is something he taught me by example and I started doing it. He had an impact on me and I will miss him. Rest well my friend
So often a man whose influence touched and inspired so many; goes unnoticed and unsung. Those of us who knew and benefited from the wit, wisdom, humor, and
ReplyDeletededication of Captain Don Chapman refuse to let him silently slip away. Lord above he now comes joyfully to you. We are confident you will say “Well done, my humble servant “ to which in turn Don will ask” Have you heard the one…… ? Rest in God’s glory Don!