Irwin Robert "Bob" Chapman

Irwin Robert " Bob" Chapman, age 89, of Colorado Springs, passed away peacefully in his sleep in the morning of September 26, 2025, at the Springs Ranch Memory Care facility, where he had lived for almost a year. Bob was born in Burgesstown, PA, on September 1, 1936, to Edward, a musician, and Stella (Patterson) Chapman, a housewife. His siblings were Edith, Emaline, Everette, Earl, Edward, and Erma, who lives in Canton, OH, and will carry on the family memories.

He was extremely proud of his children: daughter Cheryl (David) Braxton, sons: Irwin Chapman, Jr., Alvaro "Marty" (Bonnie) Chapman, Edward "Rick" Chapman, and Anthony (Dorothy) Briley. His daughter Antoinette Chapman McCoy preceded him in death. Sadly, his son, Marty, died from a long illness just a month before Bob.

Bob has 10 grandchildren: Cheryl's: Darwin, Nicole, and David, Jr. (Daisha); Marty's: Nathan and Meghan, Rick's: Alexis, Charli, and Blake; and Anthony's: Mykael and Gabriel. Bob is blessed with two beautiful great-granddaughters: Londyn and Brooklyn.

Bob enlisted in the Army on September 15, 1953, as a private doing his basic training at Ft. Bragg, NC. While there, he completed jump school. He was later stationed at Ft. Monmouth, New Jersey, attending Signal School. Bob's tenacity then led him to be selected to attend and graduate from OCS (Officer Candidate School) at Ft. Benning, GA, after which he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. Next came Ft. Rucker, AL, for flight school. As he changed duty stations, he continued to move up in rank. Besides his stateside locations, to also include Texas and California, he was also stationed in Taiwan, Korea, and Germany. During that time, as a 2nd Lieutenant, he was a member of the 82nd Airborne. He had various jobs in the Army to include rigging parachutes and flying helicopters. He served in Vietnam from January 1967 - December 1967 as a 1st Lieutenant in the 101st Airborne. He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant when he served as "Flight Leader" for his company. In February 1967, "First Lieutenant Irwin R. Chapman, Infantry, United States Army" received the "Army Commendation Medal" for "heroism in the Republic of Vietnam." While in Vietnam, he was promoted to Captain and was awarded a Bronze Star for "meritorious achievement in ground operations against hostile forces." He was wounded in combat and received a Purple Heart.

Bob's intense pride in his connection to the 101st Airborne led him in May 1993 to submit the following to the 101st Division History Book: Memorable Experiences: Traveling throughout Europe, following the WWII route, walking the beaches of Normandy and the battlefields of France, Belgium, and Holland, touring the WWII museums and getting in free because " I had been a 101st Airborne Division solider."

After 23 plus years in the service as a decorated soldier, he retired as a Major in 1976. He moved to Mannheim, Germany, and worked as a civilian contractor for AMSF (Area Maintenance and Supply Facility) - Europe, which was a contract held by ITT Corporation. Later, he was a Department of Defense employee working for AFN-TV (American Forces Network) in Worms, Germany. While in Germany, he met his wife, Corrine (Corrie), who was a Department of Defense employee teaching at a US military base. They recently celebrated their 42nd anniversary. Living in Germany for over 18 years, allowed him to learn and become an accomplished skier. Not only did he ski in France, Austria, Italy, Germany, and Switzerland, but he also became an officer in MISC (Mannheim International Ski Club), helping to organize ski trips and other activities. Most winter weekends, he, along with 40 of his friends, would board the bus to a fabulous ski resort in the Alps.

Not wanting to give up skiing or the military, the Chapmans retired to Colorado Springs. For a few years, he volunteered at the Colorado Springs Convention and Visitors Center. He enjoyed meeting and talking with the tourists who came to visit the sites around the area.

Skiing was still his passion, so he and Corrine purchased a second home near the skiing. He managed to secure weekend jobs at Copper Mt. and Keystone Ski Rental shops, which allowed him "free" season lift tickets! Finally, in 2016, he hung up his skis!

Bob's burial is at Pikes Peak National Cemetery in Colorado Springs, CO, October 16, 2025. A "Celebration of Bob" will be held that same evening.

In lieu of flowers and to honor Bob, if you would like to make a donation to a charity, here are two that are suggested:

Local: Mt. Carmel Veterans Service Center, 530 Communication Circle, Colorado Springs, CO 80905. Phone (719) 772-7000. They support veterans with your donations of non-perishable food, clothing, furniture, or money.

National: Canine Companions for Independence. Their mission is to provide service dogs to adults, children, and veterans with disabilities at no cost to the clients. They also provide facility dogs to professionals working in healthcare, criminal justice, and educational settings. P.O.Box 446 Santa Rosa, CA 95402-0445, 1-800-572-2275.