Hope Chapman

I am Kathryn Hope Pickens Chapman and I wrote this obituary. I was born on April 6, 1938 and grew up in a small southern town, Crescent City, Florida. It was a lovely place to live and those times and memories were so good.

I graduated in 1956 from Sullins Academy in Bristol, Va. with highest honors. In 1960, I graduated from the University of Florida with no honors! I was a member of Chi Omega sorority and busy enjoying a coed school.

After graduation, I taught biology in a junior high school in Jacksonville, Florida where I met Reggie Chapman. Our first date was a concert of The Four Freshmen. After dating for about a year, we were married. Reggie was with Bethlehem Steel and our first home was in Tampa where our son, Bob, was born. After that, our journey with Bethlehem really started moving. The next stop was Greenwich, Conn and Reggie was in the New York City office. Our daughter, Bailey, was born in Greenwich where we enjoyed nine wonderful years.

Four moves and 15 years later, we moved to Greensboro. Bob and Bailey had graduated from college so I started practicing Physical Therapy. I did volunteer work for Hospice, the Junior League and was the coordinator of the Cancer Society's "Road to Recovery". Reggie and I both became strong supporters of The Salvation Army and both were Advisory Board members.

My life has been full and I really thrived on keeping up with my friends and their families. I always wanted to know “what's going on with your kid's”. Reggie has been a wonderful and supportive husband, especially in the last few years as my Pulmonary Fibrosis progressed.

I leave a wonderful family. Reggie, Bob, Kay, my precious grandson, Trey, daughter Bailey, who I always considered my best friend, and her husband Mort Kaplan.

My greatest honor has been my family and friends and that includes my support team, "The Groupies"!!!!!!

I and my family would especially like to thank my doctors, John Griffin and Murali Ramaswamy, all of the nurses at Hospice, and my friend and “girl Friday” Kathy Forbes who looked after me during my illness.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on March 13, 2:00 PM at First Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers we would request gifts be given to Hospice, The Salvation Army of Greensboro or any charity of your choice.