Obituaries » JOSEPH R CHAPMAN
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Burial Date May 23, 2025
Place of Service Worcester County Memorial Park
Section Heritage II Wisdom Mausoleum Lot Number: EL207Grave Number: C#41
Joseph Rodney Chapman, 95, passed away peacefully surrounded by his loving family on Saturday, May 17, 2025.
He leaves a son, Earl T. Chapman, and his wife Marie of Webster, NY; a daughter, Lynn C. Thornton and her husband, Michael of Marlborough MA; 4 grandchildren: Christopher and David Chapman, Natalie Bishop, and Alex Thornton; He also leaves 8 great-grandchildren: Olivia, Jacob, Aubrey, Evelyn, Jane, and Harvey Chapman; and Nolan and Amelia Bishop. He also leaves his loving sister, Heather Carlson of Marshfield, MA; and several nieces and nephews.
Born in 1929 in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, Joe was called “Rodney” or “Uncle Rod” to family and friends and as “Joe” to many others. He came to this country in 1946 as a 17-year-old when his parents and younger sister, Heather, came to join his older sister, Muriel Savino, in Worcester, Massachusetts. He worked as an auto body mechanic for his whole career at Lawless Cadillac Pontiac in Worcester.
In exchange for US citizenship, he was drafted into the United States Army and sent to Stuttgart, Germany where he served during the Korean War. While in the service, Joe married the love of his life, Catherine Irene (Renee) Beattie. After his military service, they returned to Worcester to start his family, where they lived joyously in a duplex with his sister Muriel’s family and his parents.
They attended All Saints Episcopal church in Worcester, then moved to the brand-new St. John’s Episcopal church as an active member and vestryman.
Uncle Rod was a prankster, an incurable teller of jokes, and a devoted family man, especially to his much-loved children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He loved fishing, visiting with friends and family, and puttering in his garage. He was everyone’s favorite person and he will be sorely missed.
Calling hours are Thursday, May 22, 2025 from 5 pm to 7 pm at Nordgren Memorial Chapel, 300 Lincoln St., Worcester, MA.
A funeral service to be held Friday, May 23, 2025 at 10:00 am at Nordgren Memorial Chapel followed by internment at Worcester County Memorial Park, 217 Richards Avenue, Paxton MA.