Mendi Lee Chappell Geist

She was born in Rome, GA to Ron and Jane (Ford) Chappell on March 24, 1981. She grew up in Greenville, SC with her brother, Ben, and loved riding horses and her vacations to a family home in Murrell’s Inlet, SC. She attended Riverside High School (class of 1999), where she was Salutatorian, editor of the yearbook, and developed lasting friendships. Surrounded by her loving family and her favorite horse, Junior, Mendi remembered and recounted her childhood with fondness and appreciation.

She attended The University of South Carolina, Honors College, where she received a full academic scholarship. She graduated in 2003 with a B.S. in Business Administration with a major in Marketing and a minor in Journalism, cum laude. She was a valued member of Tri Delta sorority.

She moved to Charlotte, NC in 2003 and began a decade long career in medical device sales. She enjoyed interacting with doctors and nurses and teaching them how to use her company’s devices to achieve optimal patient outcomes. She also took pride in her ability to build meaningful professional relationships, which drove her successes.

While in Charlotte, she met her husband, Adam, in 2008. They were married on Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos, in 2011. The couple’s first child, Finley, was born later that year. Their son, John, followed in 2014. It was at that time Mendi realized her true passion in motherhood. Nothing was more important to her than raising her wonderful, kindhearted, funny children. They were her pride and joy. From then until her last day she was devoted to her family above all and to putting their wellbeing and happiness before her own.

Mendi’s life was truly just beginning when the family relocated to Nashville in 2015 with her husband, two children, and of course her beloved King Charles Spaniels. She embraced Nashville from the start and was heavily involved with St. George’s preschool and every child activity under the sun. She made many lifelong friends and always offered a listening ear over coffee or a glass of wine. Mendi had incredible gratitude to so many people that loved her and her family over the last eight years. She was immensely thankful and incredibly appreciative to have found “her place and her people” in Nashville.

She looked forward to frequent trips to Rosemary Beach and mountain weekends. She was an avid reader and loved, loved Hallmark movies. Mendi had a new passion for Mahjong and was always learning new things that kept life interesting. She had a never-ending list of places to visit and experiences to embrace. She loved art and always dreamed of visiting Paris and Italy. She valued and cherished date nights with Adam at new and old restaurants alike. She enjoyed the occasional live music performance, but in many cases preferred to snuggle with her children and puppies at home over a movie.

She had an infectious smile and laugh and an incredible zest for life. She was so positive, an eternal optimist and was always up for anything. She was incredibly brave and courageous, exemplifying grace and fortitude under the immense weight of her diagnosis. She never, ever let it get the best of her and remained the Mendi everyone loved so dearly until the end. The family is forever grateful to her care team that helped increase her time with us and that fought alongside her.

She is survived by her loving husband, Adam, her children, Finley and John, her parents, Ron and Jane Chappell, her brother, Ben Chappell (Elizabeth), her grandfather, Cecil Ford, her nephew, Hyatt Chappell, her niece, Mary Ellison Chappell, her dogs, Lolly and Logan, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins and so, so many friends.

Family and friends are welcome to attend a memorial service, which will be held at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Nashville, TN on Monday, March 6th. A receiving line will begin at 130pm and the service at 230pm. Mendi loved fashion and bright colors. Please feel free to wear something that would make her proud!

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to The Sarah Cannon Fund at ACS (https://sarahcannon.com/about/sarah-cannon-fund.dot) or The Covenant School (https://www.thecovenantschool.com/support-tcs/covenant-fund/giving-opportunities/).

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Woodlawn-Roesch-PattonFH.com for the Geist family.