Shel Chapman | News, Sports, Jobs – Marquette Mining Journal
<!–
PORTLAND, OR – Shel Chapman was born February 2, 1960 and left this earth on July 23, 2022 after a fierce battle with ALS. Shel was a Marquette Senior High School Basketball Legend and a pioneer in the early days of Title IX Athletics. She helped lead the Basketball Redettes to a 1976 MHSAA Class A, Girl’s Basketball Championship, the only Class A Basketball Championship ever won by a team from the Upper Peninsula. Shel was the leading scorer in the state championship game and still holds two records at MSHS. Shel then accepted a scholarship to Stanford University before transferring to Pittsburgh State (Kansas) to play under her High School Coach, the legendary Barb Crill once again. Shel played ball briefly at Michigan State before graduating from the University of Oregon in 1984.
Shel was a true engineer. Her longest and most rewarding career was that of General Contractor of “Shel Chapman Construction Company”, where she specialized in being able to visualize and actualize a client’s request. She prided herself in her ability to problem solve and her unmatched attention to detail. Clients in the Portland area would wait months for her services. One of her saddest moments was when she sold her beloved construction van (Vanna White) and said goodbye to her for the last time.
In the same way Shel was able to recognize and solve problems in her construction business, she was able to identify and educate in her world. Being gay in the early sixties and having to navigate life in secret and sometimes fear and shame, Shel strove to educate her siblings, parents, nieces and nephews at a time when gender identity was still a delicate and often not discussed topic. She helped the rest of us see the world in a way we had not before and let us know that seeing it this way was not a threat or an insult to the way we had seen it before. She broadened our world for the better.
Shel came back to Marquette for her last five months. Those five months were a journey of epic proportions. The Engineer in her organized and reorganized her living space daily as her abilities declined. She supervised a few last projects for her sister: happily bossing her nephews and brother, Joe; critiquing their abilities and buying them better tools. Extended family moved home to be with her during the last six weeks. The number of friends and family that came forward in the end was truly amazing and allowed Shel to remain at home through the end of her life.
Shel is preceded in death by her Mom and Dad, Anne and Dick Chapman. She is survived by two sisters; Deb (Russ Fure), Marquette, and Sandy (Jim), Las Vegas, NV & Marquette; brothers Tim (Toni), Batavia, IL, and Joe (Marta), Clancey, MT; nieces, Ash (Xavi), Alex (Matt), Marin, Celie; nephews, Adrian (Marjory), Austin (Aurelia), Adam (Ellie), Boden (Yasmina), Ben, Ethan, and Calvin; grandnephews, Cole, Sebastian, Henry, Lewyn Shel, Austin, August ; and grandnieces, Tess and Eme. All of the above were so very important in making Shel’s last days the very best they could be.
The family is asking that in lieu of flowers, you make a donation to your favorite charity and that the next time you are in your favorite restaurant or bar you request that one of the four televisions be tuned to the Women’s National Basketball Association channel. Memories and condolences may be expressed at www.fassbenderswansonhansen.com.