~ IN MEMORY ~
Navy veteran, WA/DL Capt. Donald Ray Chapman
November 23, 1941 ~ January 17, 2026
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.