BOMBER MEMORIAL

RICHARD JOHN "RICK"/"CHAPPY" CHAPPLE ~ Class of 1972
May 27, 1954 - December 30, 2020



Richard John "Rick"/"Chappy" Chapple, age 66, my best friend and husband passed away on December 30, 2020.

Rick was born May 27, 1954 in Vancouver, WA. He was the third and middle child of Bob and Martha Chapple. Shortly after his birth the family moved to Richland where Bob worked at the Hanford Nuclear Power Plant.

Rick had a Catholic education through 8th grade then attended and graduated with the Class of 1972 from Richland's Columbia High School, who were known as “The Bombers”. He always liked that that was their logo.

After high school he worked on farm circle irrigation systems in the Richland area, mostly potato farms. Now those farms are mostly vineyards.

In the late 1970’s Rick packed up a few belongings and a sleeping bag and rode his motorcycle to San Clemente, CA. He loved the beach; actually had a Boogie board he rode and thoroughly enjoyed the warm sunny climate. He worked at San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant for many years and made lasting friendships with people he enjoyed working with there. He rented an apartment in San Clemente with a guy whose last name was Church, get it? Church/Chapple, kinda funny.

He left the “Nuc” business in the 1980’s and began working as a construction superintendent. When he interviewed for his first superintendent position he was asked, “Do you have construction experience?” Absolutely! (Not.)

He found his groove and really liked running commercial projects. He never did or wanted to do residential work, too tedious for him I think.

Rick and I met in 1997. It truly was love at first sight. He proposed 10 days later, and we married three months after that.

Rick is that “Good guy”, “Stand-up guy”, “Man’s Man” kind of guy. He was liked and loved by so many. He was very smart, liked to stay current on the news, especially politics. He was a huge Nascar fan, as a matter of fact, we “honeymooned” at the Inaugural Nascar Car Race in Fontana the day after we wed. He liked farming; we had a ten-acre parcel in San Diego County that we developed over a 12 year period. Also during that time, we started “RVing”. Over the course of 20 years, we had at least 10 RV’s! I think he liked buying and selling almost as much as he liked camping.

In 2013 we bought a second home in Ocean Park, WA. All of Rick’s family is in Washington State, and having that place rekindled relationships with family and friends. He loved our home there, especially his “Man Cave”!

Rick is survived by two brothers: Jim Chapple ('70) and Greg Chapple ('78) (Tracey); his sister, Barb Chapple ('73); his son, Aaron; his wife, Debbie; and their two sons; son-in-law, Chris; Chris' two sons; two stepsons (Debbie's sons), Ben and Lee (and their wives and daughters); nieces; nephews; friends and neighbors.

He has left a HUGE void in all of our lives and will be forever loved and missed.

He was preceded in death by his father, Robert Emmet "Bob" Chapple, who passed away at the age of 76 in Richland on December 6, 1995; by his mother, Martha Mary Hapka Chapple, who passed away at the age of 88 in Richland on March 24, 2006; and his sister, Jean Marie Chapple Kitson, who passed away at the age of 74 in Port Townsend, WA on February 25, 2018; and by a baby sister who died at birth on June 10, 1946.

View and sign the O'Connor Mortuary Guestbook..

Please view the services at Stream Services (Event ID: OCONNOR Password: ZEWTOY).
Note that this is almost a two hour service.

Bomber Memorial put together by Shirley COLLINGS Haskins ('66).