Willie S. Chapman

Willie S. Chapman, 85, of Garden Grove, CA, formerly of West Milford, passed away on Saturday, December 12, 2009. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Mr. Chapman moved to New York in 1951, where he met his wife, Earline, they settled in West Milford, N.J. for 50 years, before moving to Southern California to be near their daughter. Mr. Chapman served 2 years in the United States Navy, worked 40 years as an electronic technician for various companies and retired from Hewlett Packard. Mr. Chapman was a remarkable human being; a loving husband, father, brother, uncle, grandfather and friend. He had a tremendous passion for family history and loved to share stories of his lineage. His favorite pastime was spending time with his family. Mr. Chapman was involved in the community as a former Grand Knight of the Knights of Columbus and Chaplain for the American Legion. He was proud to be a pilot (for small planes), a ham radio operator and he loved to dance. He is survived by his beloved wife Earline, and children Andr, Dyschaun, and Giselle. He is also survived by a brother, Andrew Cecil; and 10 cherished grandchildren. He is predeceased by 5 children: a daughter, Ardelia; a son, Antoine; a son, Renee; a daughter, Maria; and a son, Duan. He will always be in our hearts. Relatives and friends are invited to visit from 2pm to 4pm and 7pm to 9pm Friday, March 19th at The Morrison Funeral Home, 86 Bartholdi Avenue, Butler, NJ. A funeral mass will begin at 11:00am on Saturday at St. Joseph Church,West Milford, NJ. Interment will be immediately following at St. Joseph cemetery.