Dr. Thaddeus L. Chapman was born May 17, 1963, and transitioned from this life on April 16, 2017, at the age of 53. He was born and reared in Albany, Georgia, and spent a large part of his life in Atlanta, Georgia. Dr. Chapman was a loving husband, father, minister, mentor, physician and teacher. He will forever be remembered for all of the care and concern that he expressed towards everyone that he contacted. His spirit and passion for life was contagious and filled the room whenever he was present.
He received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry from Albany State University, and completed coursework for the Doctor of Medicine degree from the Medical College of Georgia. He completed his residency at the University of Kentucky before moving to San Diego, California where he practiced at the Naval Medical Center of San Diego for four years. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia and joined the Emory University OB/GYN Department before starting a private practice; however, he maintained an omce at Emory university Hospital Midtown and practiced there for 18 years.
Doctor Chapman served and dedicated his professional life to building his practice at Promised Land Women’s Center as both an Obstetrician/Gynecologist and minister. He practiced medicine and ministered, delivering tens of thousands of babies in his 26 years of practice. Doctor Chapman was very proud of the incredible team that he had assembled in the practice and had already established a vision for growth and excellence. He patterned his practice for patient care according to Exodus 1:17-21 and Micah 6:8. He was widely known and respected as an OB/GYN, who greeted each and every patient with a smile and was well-known for making each patient feel safe, no matter the procedure.
Doctor Chapman held membership in the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Incorporated and remained dedicated to the brotherhood until his death. He served in the United States Navy from 1991 to 1998 and was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal and the Meritorious Commendation and National Defense Service Medal from the United States Navy, after being honorably discharged in 1998.
He was a faithful member of The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church where he embraced his role as a servant and teacher. He was a member of the Christian Education team and taught Bible Study and Sunday School. He also served on the Men’s Usher Board. Doctor Chapman was ordained into the ministry in 2013 and served as an associate minister at the church. He was truly an ambassador for Christ and used Biblical teachings as the guiding principle in his life. He loved his Sunday School classes, including the Men of Vision and the Berean classes. He loved teaching and many have said that he always brought the lesson to life and made complex concepts easy to understand. He was praised for his teaching at church and won several teaching awards professionally.
Doctor Chapman was preceded in death by his father, Reverend Henry W. Chapman Jr; brother, Ardele Newkirk; grandparents, John Coney, Reverend Henry W. Chapman, Sr. and Mary Magdalean Chapman; uncles and aunts Frank (Ella Rose) Chapman, Bernice Mitchell, Thelma James and Mary Esther Adams; father-in-law, Julius Adams, Sr. and mother-in-law, Oceola Adams.
He was loved and adored by his family and leaves behind to cherish fond, wonderful memories; his loving wife of 23 years, Doctor Ira Adams-Chapman; two children born from this union, Jordan and Julian Chapman; mother, Marietta Chapman; maternal grandmother, Dora Bell Coney; five siblings, Alvin Chapman (Ramona), Darryl Chapman, TaJuanna Smith, Michael Chapman, Jocelyn Dudley and Carlton Newkirk; sister-in-law, Michelle (Ricardo) Hamfin; brother-in-law, Julius Adams, Sr.; eight maternal aunts and uncles, Arlene Larkin (William d), Johnnie Washington, Rosa Howard, Sara Coney; Elizabeth Hogan, John Coney, Darien Hill and Carrie King; and a host of nieces, nephews and cousins along with many more loved ones and friends.
Regardless of how you greeted him — Reverend Chapman, Doctor Chapman, Thaddeus or Thad— or in what capacity you knew him, he —indisputably — touched the lives Of thousands and leaves behind a rich legacy that will live on through each and every person he met. A scholarship fund will be established in his honor at The Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church through the Frank Jones Memorial Scholarship.
