LELAND MAURICE "LEE" CHAPMAN

1924 - 2018

LELAND LEE MAURICE CHAPMAN Leland "Lee" Chapman was born in 1924 to Ophia Eastin and Floyd Chapman on a farm outside Cainsville, MO. He graduated in 1942 from Cainsville High School, where he was captain of the basketball team, senior class president, and valedictorian. He served in the Army's 20th Armored Division, and was deployed to Europe in 1945. He participated in the liberation of the concentration camp in Dachau, Germany, although he rarely spoke of it. Following his honorable discharge from the Army, Leland moved to Kansas City, MO, where he met and married Floy Elizabeth (DeLoach) Williams. Soon after their two daughters were born, Leland and Floy settled in Independence, MO, where they lived for 24 years. He pursued a career as an electrical equipment salesman, eventually becoming the top salesman at the Missouri Valley Electric Supply Company in Kansas City. Leland was an active member of the Junior Chamber of Commerce (the Jaycees), and of the All Souls Unitarian Church. He loved cross-country road trips with his family, often breaking into song just when his two daughters were getting a little too restless. He was an ever-hopeful fisherman, an avid reader, a crossword puzzle enthusiast, a birdwatcher, and a lifelong coffee drinker. A few years after he and Floy divorced, Leland married Opal O'Brien. The two became active square dancers and loved to play cards and visit with their extended families. They were married for 24 years, until Opal's death in 2012. For the last six years of his life Leland (93) suffered from memory loss, which he handled with great dignity. Despite his difficulty remembering names and faces, he was unfailingly kind to all those who assisted him. He died peacefully on March 24, 2018. Leland's survivors include his first wife, Floy (DeLoach) Williams of Kansas City, MO; daughter Jeanne Chapman of Oregon House, CA; and daughter Cynthia Rudmann and husband (Lawrence); grandson Elliot Rudmann and wife Deena Miers; granddaughter Dylan Rudmann and husband Robert Schlacks, and two darling great-granddaughters, Marguerite "Daisy" Schlacks and Lydia Schlacks, all of Chicago, IL. He is also survived by his step-daughter Mary Ann Locke and step-son Pat O'Brien of Kansas City. Leland was preceded in death by his sister, Gladys Melson and his second wife, Opal O'Brien. In his memory, the family suggests donations to the All Souls Unitarian Church at 4501 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64111.