Lt. Col. Richard G. Chappell, of Camden died Wednesday, July 7th, 2021 in Dover. He was 88.
Lt. Col. Chappell was born June 25, 1933, in Winston – Salem, NC, son of the late Bryte and Annie Spry Chappell.
He served as a U.S. Air Force pilot at the end of the Korean War and during the Vietnam War, retiring after 29 years of service. He was decorated for his service and bravery with the Meritorious Service Medal and the Air Medal.
Lt Col. Chappell then worked 12 years as a pilot instructor for FlightSafety International before retiring in 1995.
He is survived by his wife, Donna J. Chappell of Camden; a son, Douglas Lee Chappell of Jacksonville, FL; two daughters, Diane Pledger of Winston – Salem and Dana Chappell of Tucker, GA; one brother, Thomas Chappell of Winston – Salem; two sisters, Martha Snyder and Mary Snyder, both of Winston-Salem; five grandchildren, Philip Pledger, Michael Pledger, Todd Chappell, Emily Chappell, and Misha Colich; six great-grandchildren, Logan Pledger, Juniper Pledger, Luda Pledger, Masha Pledger, Winston Colich and Roman Colich.
Lt. Col. Chappell was an active member of Faith Community Church and a dedicated member of The Gideons International. He often donated his time as a volunteer driver for the American Red Cross.
Funeral service will be held 5:00 p.m. Sunday, July 25, 2021 in the Wyoming United Methodist Church, 216 Wyoming Mill Road, Dover.
Burial with full military honors will be held 2:00 p.m. Monday, July 26 in the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 26669 Patriots Way, Millsboro, Delaware.
In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions to The Gideons International, PO Box 140800, Nashville, TN, 37214-0800, or Samaritan’s Purse, P.O. Box 3000, Boone, NC, 28607.
The link for the service will be youtube.com/wyomingumcdelaware
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of Lt. Col. Richard G. Chappell, USAF Ret., please visit our floral store.