Dorothy Anne Chapman

Dorothy Anne Hicks Chapman was born July 15, 1932, and entered the presence of her beloved Lord Jesus Christ on February 3, 2015. She was born, the first of two daughters, to Robert Hansel and Mary Belle (Knapp) Hicks, at Gorgas Hospital in Ancon, Canal Zone, Panama. She spent her entire childhood in the Canal Zone, graduating from Balboa High School. Sensing the call of God to mission work, she went to Bob Jones University where she completed a BA degree in Radio Production with a Spanish minor. Returning to the Canal Zone, she worked as a civilian employee for the United States Navy. She attended the First Baptist Church of Balboa where she met a young medical intern from Ohio, Robert A. Chapman. They were married July 20, 1956. A few years later, they were appointed as missionaries with Sudan Interior Mission, and along with their children, Priscilla and Jonathan, they sailed on the Queen Mary to begin their assignment in Ethiopia. Following Amharic language study, they moved to Shashamane where they spent the next three years in medical mission work. Their third child, David, was born during that time. They returned to the United States for a few years before their second term of service in Ethiopia. During those years, Dorothy was involved in music education for missionary children and story writing for translation in the Somali language. In 1973 the Chapman family returned from Ethiopia and made their home in Banner Elk, NC for the next 33 years. Dorothy was very involved in Bob's medical office for many of those years. She loved participating in church music ministry and women's Bible studies. They were members of Mt. Calvary Baptist and later Faith Baptist Church. In 2006 they moved to the SIM Retirement Village in Sebring, Florida. Dorothy once again engaged in women's Bible study and music ministry, both in the Village and in the churches she attended. Dorothy was preceded in death by her parents and her sister, Mary Alice Kelley, and is survived by her family whom she deeply loved - husband, Robert Chapman of Sebring, FL, daughter Priscilla (Mark) Young of Littleton, CO, son Jonathan (Nancy) Chapman of Seminole, FL and son David (Joan) Chapman of Richardson, TX; eight grandchildren, three great-grandchildren, one nephew, two nieces and many grand nephews and nieces. Arrangements entrusted to: Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home (863) 385-0125 Online condolences may be left at: www.stephensonnelsonfh.com