Joan (Knoebel) Chapman

Ms. Joan Knoebel Chapman, age 93, of Gainesville peacefully passed away May 16, 2026, surrounded by family, friends and caregivers at Lanier Village Estates.  Joan was born October 3, 1932, in Brooklyn, New York to the late John Knoebel and Agnes Knoebel Gotthiner.  Both parents immigrated through Ellis Island in the 1920s.  In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband of 38 years, Alan Theodore (Ted) Chapman, Jr, her sister, Doris Ellen Knoebel Flanagan Siller, and her dear companion Donavan (Don) Paul Hough.  She is survived by: her three sons, Glen Alan Chapman, Gary John Chapman and his wife Robin, Greg Eric Chapman: her daughter in-law, Nancy Webster Chapman: her five grandchildren and spouses, Lora Chapman Impellerizzi and her spouse Nick Impellerizzi, Sarah Chapman Davis and her spouse Austin Davis, Jennifer Weeks Chapman, Christopher Weeks Chapman and his spouse Laura Chapman, Amanda Weeks Chapman: and her four great grandchildren, Hayden, Hudson, Elena and Emersyn. 

Joan graduated from Bloomfield High and then Mountainside Hospital School of Nursing. While in nursing school Joan went on a blind date arranged by a classmate with the classmate’s brother, an Air Force pilot and future Georgia Tech professor, Ted Chapman. Joan & Ted married July 18, 1953.  Joan was an RN in 5 states (NJ, AL, OH, TN, GA) and helped innumerable patients as a hospital floor and later ICU nurse.  Ted passed in a 1991 single engine airplane accident that Joan survived.  Years later another friend introduced Joan to a new companion, Don Hough.  Joan and Don shared over 13 happy years together at Lanier Village Estates. 

Joan was a long time Unitarian Universalist.  She never shied away from engaging in discussions about religion, politics, or just about any other topic for that matter.  She helped establish, and was on the board of directors for, the first Planned Parenthood location in the state of Tennessee in the early 1960s.  She would often say that her strength of will and feistiness was nothing more than her stubborn German genes coming through.   

Joan’s true love and passion was music.  Joan played the violin her entire life, and was an active participant in every community orchestra within driving distance.  Joan’s mother Agnes said, ‘My girls (Joan and Doris) are going to grow up knowing and appreciating the fine arts as I never had a chance to do.’  Joan absorbed and lived this message fully and passed it down as exemplified by her overwhelming support of granddaughters 20-year dance activities.  

Joan also wrote: 

I can attest to the power of music to heal a wounded soul as well as a physical body. Nothing could reach the core of my brain injury & emotional stress resulting from the airplane crash and death of my husband like music.  It was the most powerful and effective medicine. I would define this as spiritual healing. Many years later with pacemaker surgery, I was an unwilling patient, crying and upset. The cardiologist asked for classical music and immediately the crying stopped. 

A celebration of life will be held at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorials or donations may be made to the Georgia Tech Chapman-Pentecost Scholarship Fund for Material Science online by going to the Georgia Tech Foundation Giving Page, select ‘special purpose’ and designate your gift to the “Chapman-Pentecost” fund, or by check payable to the Ga Tech Foundation, Inc with Chapman Pentecost Fund in the memo line mailed to: 

Georgia Tech Foundation, Inc. 

760 Spring St NW, Suite 400

Atlanta, Ga. 30308

Memorial Park Riverside Chapel, 989 Riverside Drive, Gainesville, GA 30501. 770-297-6200. For online condolences www.memorialparkfuneralhomes.com  

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