James K. Chapman, Sr., 85, passed peacefully on November 1, 2025. He was born in 1940 to Seely and Virginia Chapman in Chicago, Illinois. The oldest of 3 children, they moved to Providence, RI, and then settled in Wilmington, DE, where he attended P.S. Dupont high school, and later the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Maine earning a degree in mechanical engineering.
He was in the Navy during the Vietnam War and served as a bombardier navigator flying the A-6 Intruder off the USS Enterprise. While he was onboard, this aircraft carrier had a massive fire and all crew members were taken to Hawaii for a 2-month refit in Pearl Harbor that Jim remembered fondly as a period of learning to surf and relax before his deployment.
Jim’s career after the Navy began as a pilot with Summit Aviation in Philadelphia. He was sent to oversee a new start-up base in Dayton, Ohio, and there met Judy. They married and settled in Wilmington where they raised their two sons, Jim and Jeff. He taught them to play many sports and was their cross-country coach for their team at St. Mary Magdalen School.
He was hired by American Airlines and eventually became an international pilot flying the MD-11, his main routes being to Europe and South America. After his retirement from American, he became an instructor at Flight Safety International at the Wilmington Airport for another 13 years teaching corporate pilots to fly the Hawker jet and often piloted executives all over the world in the Hawker himself.
Jim’s motto was “Life is Good.” He used it as a greeting, a toast, tacked it onto the end of Grace before a meal, and even used it as the name of his sailboat. He truly embraced life, enjoying travel to far-flung places such as Antarctica, the Galapagos Islands, Australia and Japan. Even more he took joy in the regular things—his jogs and later his daily 3-mile walk with Judy, his card games with friends, and especially any time he spent with his family – Eagles games becoming a family ritual. He was close with his sisters and especially enjoyed his three wonderful grandchildren.
Jim was predeceased by his parents. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Judy, his sons Jim (Tara) and their daughters Brielle and Isla, and Jeff (Jenny) and their son, Kit, as well as his two sisters, Stuart Cobb (James, deceased) and Cindy Wright (Norris), as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
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