Fred (Guy Frederick) CHAPMAN

Fred (Guy Frederick) CHAPMAN, 95, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2026, at Jones Memorial Hospital, Wellsville, NY. Born on December 13, 1930, in that same hospital, he was the son of Norman Carlton Chapman II and Ruth Karns Chapman, and a lifelong resident of Genesee, PA. Fred was a devoted husband and a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He enjoyed and excelled in many fields — businessman, cabinetmaker, carpenter, homebuilder, architect, fisherman, hunter, private pilot, volunteer firefighter, RV driver, churchman and vestry member. His wife, Diana, fondly described him as “the smartest man I’ve ever met.” A graduate of Wellsville High School, Fred went on to attend several universities, including Alfred University, the University of Rochester, and UC Berkeley. While living in California, he married his high school sweetheart, Nancy Ranger, and worked in retail in the San Francisco area briefly before returning home to Genesee to help his widowed mother run the family business, Chapman’s Department Store — “The Furniture Showplace of Distinction.” Rising through the ranks to become CEO, he helmed the store until a devastating warehouse fire in 1966 forced its eventual closure. He continued the cabinetry shop, however, as Chapman’s Kitchens, and was joined there by his youngest son Adam, who succeeded him upon his retirement and continues to carry on the family legacy. 

Fred is survived by his wife, the Rev. Diana Purcell; his former wife, Nancy Ranger; and their five children: Norman (Deborah Weber, MD), Mark (Katrina Weiand), Karen (John Zapotok), Adam (Lorrie Meyers), and Barbara (Joshua Sloat). He also leaves behind three stepchildren—Danny, Janet, and Nancy; three grandchildren—Adam Zapotok, Wyatt Zapotok, and Teresa Woodall; eight step-grandchildren—Britt, Christina, Brian, Giovanna, Ashley, Sherry, Siera, and Samantha; and one greatgrandchild, Ethan Woodall. Nieces, nephews and cousins live locally and in North Carolina, Oregon, Hawai’i, California, and Sweden, where he was predeceased by his sister and her husband, Coreen and Rune Weckner. 

A celebration of Fred’s life will be held on a later date—likely beside a trout stream, where he was happiest. 

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Fred’s honor to St. John’s Episcopal Church and the David A. Howe Memorial Library, both in Wellsville, NY. 

Arrangements are under the direction of Olney-Foust & Embser Funeral Homes & Cremation, 34 West State Street, Wellsville, NY. Online condolences may be expressed at www.wellsvillefuneralhome.com.