George Chapman

1925 - 2017

George W. Chapman entered into his eternal rest on Tuesday, July 18, late in the evening of what had been a wonderful day celebrating his 92nd birthday. George was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1925. He moved with his parents, George W. Chapman, Sr. and Mary Craley Chapman, to Jenkintown, Pennsylvania, where he grew up, attending Abington High School. He was Student Council President, Captain of the Wrestling Team, and an Eagle Scout. Upon graduation from High School, George enlisted in the United States Air Force and served his Country as a Navigator on a B-29 airplane, flying from the island of Saipan in the South Pacific, to Tokyo in the Air War against Japan. His plane was one of the first to land on Iwo Jima after the battle for that island. George attended Penn State University after World War II. He was President of the Interfraternity Council, President of Theta Chi Faternity and a member of Lion's Paw, Penn State's senior Honor Society. At Penn State, George met the love of his life, Marion - they were married after graduation in 1949, moved to New Jersey where they lived for 45 years. George was an active member of the community serving as a Member of the Board of Education and Senior Warden of All Saint's Episcopal Church. George joined the Colgate Palmolive Company in New York City becoming a Plant Manager of a large manufacturing facility and Director of Corporate Engineering, where he traveled the world representing Colgate, and served on an industry-wide Committee of the U.S. Cosmetic Industry which, along with the FDA, established standards for quality and manufacturing procedures. He retired in 1986. George always felt that he should serve or give back to those forces in his life that had given so freely to him - God and the Church, his Family, his Country, and his Community. After moving to Pennsylvania, he was a member of The Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem, where he was an usher, a chalice bearer, and a member of the Property Committee. George was proud to have a role in the installation of the lighting that illuminates the beautiful façade of the Cathedral every evening. George was an active and devoted volunteer for Habitat for Humanity in both New Jersey and the Lehigh Valley for more than twenty years. He was on the Board of Directors for the Habitat chapter in Paterson, New Jersey. George's family was his great pride and joy. He spent many happy summers with them at their family home on Martha's Vineyard. He taught his children and grandchildren how to sail in his boat, "By George" and took his family on many vacations and adventures. George and Marion were married for more than 68 years, had two daughters, two sons-by-marriage, four granddaughters, and five great grandchildren. Survivors: Loving wife Marion; daughter Susan Boehret and her husband Robert and their children Allison Soderstrom and her husband Scott of Somerville, MA and Katherine Boehret and her husband Kevin Sheives of Washington, DC; daughter Nanci Funfgeld and her husband Greg and their children Craley Davis and her husband Michael of Chevy Chase, MD and Emma Funfgeld of Bethlehem; great- grandchildren Ford and Edward Soderstrom, Liam and Harrison Sheives, and Eleanor Ann Davis. Services: A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, July 22 at 11:30 a.m. in The Cathedral Church of the Nativity, 321 Wyandotte St, Bethlehem, PA 18015. There will be no calling hours. George's arrangements have been entrusted to the Cantelmi Long Funeral Home, 500 Linden Street, Bethlehem, PA 18018. A memory tribute may be placed at www.longfuneralhome.com Contributions: The family request that, in lieu of flowers, gifts in loving memory of George Chapman be made to The Cathedral Church of the Nativity (321 Wyandotte Street, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania 18015) or the Lehigh Valley Chapter of Habitat for Humanity (245 North Graham Street Allentown, PA 18109).