Thomas "Tom" Chapman
Burial Details
Obituaries
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 5A - January 21, 2012
Thomas “Tom†Chapman,
78, Grand Junction, died
Jan. 17, 2012, at Vail Valley
Medical Center.
Visitation will be from 5 to 7
p.m. Monday at Callahan-Edfast
Mortuary with a Rosary at 7
p.m. Services will be at 11 a.m.
Tuesday at St. Joseph Catholic
Church with burial to follow
at 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial
Cemetery of Western Colordo.
Mr. Chapman was an industrial
distribution manager.
Survivors include his wife,
Gloria “Mitziâ€; one son, Tom of
Grand Junction; three daughters,
Kathy Sewell of Frisco,
Texas, Nancy Castillo of Corona,
Calif., and Melissa Sherlock
of Trabuco Canyon, Calif.; one
brother, John of Orange, Calif.;
one sister, Karen Butzer of Portland,
Ore.; nine grandchildren;
and two great-grandchildren.
Grand Junction Daily Sentinel page 3D - January 22, 2012
Thomas “Tom†Dale Chapman
of Grand Junction, Colorado,
passed away suddenly near Vail
on January 17, 2012.
Tom was born on May 6, 1933
in Wausau, Wisconsin to parents,
Desmond Ray and Cordelia
Chapman and grew up in Caledonia,
Minnesota. At the age of 16 he trained to become a printer and
at the age of 18 enlisted in the Marines at the start of the Korean
War. His military career took him around the world to California,
Hawaii, and Okinawa, Japan. He received his honorable discharge in
1954 and soon thereafter met the love of his life, Gloria “Mitziâ€
Dissmore. After a first date at the local roller skating rink, the stage
was set for a fun and loving 56 years of marriage.
Tom and Mitzi were married in the brand new Catholic Church in
Menahga, Minnesota on July 23, 1955. The young couple was
blessed with a son, Thomas Dean, in 1957 and then settled in Norwalk,
California. In California, they were blessed three times over
with Kathryn Marie in 1959; Nancy Kay in 1963, and Melissa Ann
in 1965.
During his career, Tom held a number of positions in the field of
industrial distribution, and specialized in cutting tools and abrasives.
Tom was a very involved father and enjoyed participating in Boy
Scouts, Girl Scouts and his local Catholic Church.
After his family was grown, Tom and Mitzi retired to Grand Junction,
Colorado, near their son Tom. In Grand Junction, Tom enjoyed
his involvement in the Elks and Moose Lodges and the local
cribbage club. Throughout his life, Tom enjoyed backpacking,
playing cribbage, golf, fishing, and having a bourbon at 3:00 p.m.
every day. The highlight of his recent years was a dream father and
son Alaskan fishing trip to catch halibut and salmon. Most of all,
Tom enjoyed being surrounded by his family and friends. Tom was
a loving husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather and he
will be greatly missed.
Tom was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Lindsay Castillo,
and is survived by his wife, Mitzi; his children, Tom (Erin) Chapman
of Grand Junction; Kathy (Rick) Sewell of Frisco, Texas;
Nancy (Rudy) Castillo of Corona, California, and Melissa (Sean)
Sherlock of Trabuco Canyon, California. He is also survived by his
brother, John Chapman and sister, Karen Butzer; his grandchildren,
Thomas and Travis Chapman, Jenifer Varca, Rebecca Sewell, Samantha,
Kelly, and Andrew Castillo, and Anne-Marie and Jacob
Sherlock, and great-grandchildren, Juliana and Andrew Varca.
Viewing will be on Monday, January 23, 2012 from 5 -7:00 p.m.,
followed by the praying of the Rosary at Callahan-Edfast Mortuary.
Funeral services will be held at St. Joseph's Catholic Church at
11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, January 24, followed by burial services at
the Veteran’s Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contribution
can be made to St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Grand Junction,
Colorado.
