Franklin Eugene Chapman Sr.

Heaven has gained one heck of a salesman. Franklin Eugene Chapman, Sr, 78, of Raleigh, passed away on February 16, 2020 at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Durham after sixteen years of being a cancer warrior. Whether you called him Frank or Gene you knew him as a Husband, Father, Pop-Pop and proud United States Army Veteran.

Frank is survived by his “first” wife of 56 years, Carol Sue Durgin Chapman. He is also survived by his children, Carla Turchetti (Joe), Franklin Chapman, Jr. (Robin), Andra Kinlaw (Sammy) and Craig Chapman (Lori), all of Raleigh. He is also survived by eight grandchildren he adored: Sophia, Francesca and Gabriella Turchetti, Andersen and Owen Chapman, Olivia and Chapman Kinlaw and Adam Chapman.

A Southerner to the core, Frank was born in Fargo, Georgia on July 19, 1941 to Lula Mabel and Lawrence Newman Chapman. After his graduation from Cook County High School Frank enlisted in the U.S. Army. His years of service took him from Ft. Detrik, Maryland to Korea to Goose Bay, Labrador. After his honorable discharge, Frank brought his young family back to the South as quickly as he could.

Frank never met a stranger and could sell a cape to Superman. In his sales career with American Greetings Corporation and Posner Cosmetics he held many roles including District Manager and Regional Manager. Frank was his own GPS before GPS was even invented. He knew the highways, byways and back roads of North Carolina at a time when you couldn’t take I-40 to Chapel Hill, much less Wilmington. He retired from sales during his first battle with cancer 16 years ago. But as soon as he was healthy enough he got back out there in the hopes of simply talking to people all day long. He became a representative for Epson Printers and didn’t let something like a little new technology keep him from the selling a whole lot of printers.

When he wasn’t out there selling things he was busy being an integral part of his children’s lives and his community. His resume includes being a CASL coach and a member of the Sanderson High School Athletic Boosters and King of Concessions. He loved baton twirling and was the Royalette School of Baton’s Number One fan and that guy who stayed in his seat at halftime to support the N.C. State University Twirlers. He mowed his way into being a White Knight of Chi Omega Sorority at N.C. State. All roads led to the fields where the UNC-Pembroke Men’s Soccer Team played and he was the Chief Organizer of trips to Lumberton’s Golden City Buffet. He loved to talk about our city as a member of the Raleigh Ambassadors. He was a voracious reader and when he was 9 years old he was crowned Reading Champ when he read more library books in one summer than any other young patron. He could fill out any crossword in pen. He also shared his passion for coin collecting with all of his grandchildren. He enjoyed many summers riding his golf cart around White Lake. Frank was Chief Pet Sitter and Potato Chip feeder for a long list of granddogs and grandcats including Satch, Rex, Martin, Skillet, Squoosh, Nixon, Adi, Coach, Janet, Chrissy, Alexandra and Coco. In recent years he enjoyed being a member of Kiwanis of Raleigh and left his cane at the table so he could juggle one plate of lunch and a separate plate stacked high with coconut cake. He loved to plan cruises and other vacations and just last summer enjoyed a trip to his favorite resort in Jamaica with extended family.

The family is planning a raucous celebration of life on Thursday, February 20, at the River Run Clubhouse, 1925 Wide River Drive in Raleigh, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. Like all Chapman family gatherings we expect it to be full of love, laughter, stories and favorite foods. Frank was social like that.

We would like to thank the staff at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center and its In-House Hospice Unit for their care, compassion and comfort and ensuring that our hero had a peaceful transition.

In Frank’s honor the next time and every time you see a current member of the United States Armed Forces or a Proud Veteran, please thank them for their service.