Dr. Stanley “Stan” Willets Chapman of Jackson passed away on Wednesday November 20th, 2024, at the age of 78 in Bay St. Louis. We celebrate the life of a remarkable physician, family man, brother, and friend, whose unwavering compassion and dedication to healing will continue beyond his earthly days. A man of many accomplishments, his family and friends were his most cherished treasure.
Dr. Chapman was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. in 1946 to Dr. Stanley Brucker Chapman and Dorris Jane Willetts, RN. The family moved to Bath in upstate New York, where he grew up alongside his younger brother, John H. His father Dr. Stanley B. was a general practitioner. His mother, Dorris was a nurse of anesthesiology.
Dr. Chapman graduated from Haverling Central High School in 1964, where he was an outstanding student, achieving National Honor Society and earning his Eagle Scout rank. He excelled in both football and baseball and was a talented clarinet player. He was a 1968 cum laude graduate of Colgate University majoring in zoology and earning induction into Phi Beta Kappa. He then attended medical school at the University of Rochester in New York, graduating with distinction in 1972 and being elected to the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta in 1974. From 1974-1977 he earned an esteemed fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Md. This was followed by a second fellowship in infectious disease at the University of Rochester which he completed in 1979. He received board certification in Internal Medicine, Allergy Immunology, and Infectious Disease. In 1979, the family moved to Jackson where Dr Chapman joined the University of Mississippi Medical School (UMMC) faculty from which he retired in 2007.
Over the years, he held numerous leadership positions, including Professor, Vice Chairman for Clinical Operations and Academic Affairs, and Associate Vice Chancellor for Research Integrity. He also served as Chief of Medical Services at G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. In 1988, he assumed director of the Division of Infectious Disease at UMMC, a role he held until his retirement. In addition, he served as medical director of the Division of Correctional Medicine for the state of Mississippi in 1998.
Dr. Chapman’s contributions to the medical community were vast, and he will be remembered not only as a physician with renowned bedside manners - patient, kind and compassionate - but also as a leader and mentor. Dr. Chapman proudly served in the Mississippi Air National Guard from 1982 to 2004, holding various command positions, including Chief of Aerospace Medicine, Commander of the 172nd Squadron and retired as Brigadier General. From 1996 until his retirement, he served as State Air Surgeon of Mississippi. He retired from the VA medical center after serving from 1979 to 2004, during which time he made significant contributions to the healthcare and well-being of veterans.
Upon retiring from UMMC as a leader in medical education and research, mentoring countless medical students and residents while advancing in his field worldwide, he was awarded and honored with Emeritus Professor of Medicine. He also received the prestigious election to membership in the American Clinical and Climatological Association (ACCA) for his exceptional contributions to this field.
Dr. Chapman’s first love was always his family. He and his wife, Stephanie Bourgeois of Louisiana, together raised four children, who were the light of his life. His office was always filled with family photos and the children’s artwork. He was a devoted supporter of the arts, championing the symphony, ballet, and visual arts while fostering a love for creativity and culture in his community and with loved ones. Dr. Chapman had a deep love for sports, enjoyed a wide circle of friends, and cherished his monthly supper club for decades of fun and camaraderie. A music enthusiast, he embraced all genres and loved to dance.
In the mid-2000s he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. He lived and faced each day courageously with hope, grace, and love, becoming an inspiration to all.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 51 years; his four children, Stanley D. Chapman of Houston, Courtenay Marie Middleton (Todd “TJ”) of Santa Fe, Catie Carlyle Zimmerman, MD (Joseph “Bo”) of Jackson, John Charles “Jac” Chapman, MD of Lafayette, La.; his grandchildren, Sarah Catherine and Scarlett Chapman, Lyla Middleton, Bo, Roane and John Carlyle Zimmerman; his brother John Chapman (Shirley) of Bath; and his other family members, many friends, colleagues, and loved ones.
Dr. Chapman was predeceased by his parents, and his uncle, John Willetts.
The family offers special thanks to Cassandra Donelson, Kermit Snow, and Mary Watson, and to the services that cared for Dr. Chapman during his later years.
A celebration of life will be held in Jackson at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Boxing for Parkinson’s Program at the First Baptist Church Jackson, 431 N. State Street, Jackson, MS 39201; Infectious Diseases Society of America Foundation, 4040 Wilson Blvd, Ste 300, Arlington, VA 22203; or Michael J Fox Parkinson Foundation, Grand Central Station P.O. Box 4777 New York, NY 10163
Even in death, his selfless spirit lives on through his donation to the MERI Body Donor Program.
