JOY CHAPMAN

JOY CHAPMAN A Life of Joy Joy Colleen Chapman (nee Griffith, formerly Smith), age 97, of Topeka, Kansas was called home to heaven on Tuesday, August 12th, 2025. The perfectly named Joy was born on the family farm near Clayton, Decatur County, Kansas on November 10,1927 to the late Charles W. and Mabel J. Griffith. Joy loved music. She studied music at the University of Kansas, played seven instruments, graduated with a degree in Music Education from William Jewell College, gave piano lessons to countless children and adults in Liberty, Missouri, taught music in the Liberty Public Schools for 17 years, directed the choir at Liberty United Methodist church for over 30 years and could dance till the cows came home. They say the best sermons are lived, not spoken, and Joy's life was a beautiful, gracious and kind sermon. Her love of a child's antics, the beauty of flowers, the wonders of travel, caring for family and friends, were brilliantly shown in her glorious smile and actions. The love of God was illustrated and testified in every life she touched. Joy is survived by what she cherished most; her three children, seven grandchildren and thirteen great grandchildren: Daughter Kate and husband Chris Hamilton of Topeka, Kansas, granddaughter Tahira and husband Alan Schmidt, great grandsons Cordae, Jordan and Ryland of Hoyt Kansas. Grandson Noah Hamilton and wife Sarah Tesch and daughter Talia of Useldange, Luxemburg. Grandson Shawn and wife Meridith, great grandson Nicholas and great granddaughter Jillian of Crestwood, Kentucky. Daughter Karen and husband Leu Lowrey of Owasso, Oklahoma, daughter Jessica and husband Jeremy, great grandsons Junuh and Rafe of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Grandson Justin and wife Jennifer, and great granddaughters Briar and Finnley of Collinsville, Oklahoma. Son Kyle and wife Claudia Smith of Topeka, Kansas, grandson Wes and wife Katie Smith and great grandson Bryn and great granddaughter Abby of Overland Park, Kansas. Granddaughter Allison and husband David King and great granddaughter Charlie of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Joy was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Mabel Griffith, brother Jay Griffith of Clayton Kansas and her first husband, Wes Smith (August 22, 1948 till his death, Sept. 17, 1983) and second husband, Sam Chapman, (Jan. 5, 1991 till his death, June 1, 2012) of Liberty Missouri. A celebration of her life will be held at 11:00 AM, Saturday, September 13th, 2025, at Pleasant Hill United Methodist Church, Topeka, KS. Inurnment will be at the Clayton, Kansas Cemetery at 2:00 PM on October 4th, 2025.