Robert LeRoy Chapin Jr.

Robert LeRoy Chapin Jr. was born in Elk City, OK, February 18, 1944 to Robert Chapin and Merle (Wampler) Chapin.

His childhood years took him to Mountain Home, CA, Amarillo, TX, Long Beach, CA, Colorado Springs, CO, then overseas to Rhein Main Air Force Base in Frankfurt, Germany, and Dreux Air Force Base in France, where he was baptized in the base chapel with his parents and sisters on June 22, 1957. He attended 7th and 8th grades at Dreux AFB, and 8th and 9th grades in Lincoln, Nebraska after returning to the United States. He entered into minor seminary -10th-12th grades - at St. Joseph’s College in Edgerton, WI. He attended major seminary at Immaculate Conception College in Oconomowoc, WI. His post-graduate studies took him to Mt. St. Alphonsus Seminary in Esopus, NY, where he studied religious education and dogmatic theology.

In 1967, desiring a vocational change in the hope of one day having a family, he left the seminary in good standing and returned to Salem, OR, where his parents lived at the time. He worked briefly for several months for the Cherry Growers Association, before enlisting in the US Army in September 1968, before his draft number was called. He completed basic training at Ft. Lewis, WA. From late 1968 to April 1969, he worked as a stenographer - efficient at over 100 wpm - at Ft. Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis, IN. From May 1969 to October 1969, he transitioned to several bases en route to a deployment to Vietnam. Upon returning from deployment in October 1969, he attended Officer Candidate School at Ft. Sill in Oklahoma, assigned to the Snow Bird Unit in Artillery & Missile School. He graduated OCS with Class 10 of 1970 on May 1 of that year. From there, he served on an assignment to pilot helicopters from June to October of 1970 in Ft. Worth, TX. Robert served as a 2nd Lieutenant until February of 1971.

Upon being promoted to 1st Lieutenant, Robert was assigned to Air Cavalry Troop at Ft. Lewis, WA from May to August of 1971. In August 1971, he returned to Vietnam on a second deployment, which he served until January 1972. From February 1972 to January 1975, he was stationed at Ft. Campbell, KY. In the following years, he served at Ft. Sill, Ft. Lewis, Ft. Rucker, and was then deployed to the Republic of Korea, where he earned a Defense Medal.

When he once again returned to the United States, he was stationed at Ft. Lewis, WA, where he served at the time of the Mt. St. Helens volcanic eruption in May 1980. Captain Chapin earned the Humanitarian Service Medal for coordinating and flying helicopter rescue missions in the aftermath of the disaster from May 19 to May 30, rescuing countless civilians.

In June 1983, Captain Chapin was promoted to Major while stationed at Ft. Gordon, Augusta, GA. While home in Salem, OR on leave for Christmas of that year, he met his wife of 42 years,

Kathleen, at St. Edward’s Church in Keizer on New Years Day 1984. Robert and Kathleen married at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Newport, OR on September 8, 1984.

Upon finishing his duty assignment at Ft. Gordon at the end of 1984, he was reassigned to Ft. Shafter, Oahu, Hawaii, where he worked with the US Pacific Command. His three-year assignment was extended an additional year due to budget cuts. His daughter, Kristina, was born while living on Oahu.

At the end of his service in Hawaii, he turned down a promotion to Lt. Colonel with an assignment in Colorado with Space Command. At the 20-year mark in his career, he decided to retire and move home to Oregon, settling in Grants Pass where his paternal grandmother was born. Her father, Robert’s great-grandfather, Frederick Cheshire, was county clerk for Josephine County when the county seat was in the Illinois Valley during the early 1900s. His daughter, Pamela, was born in Grants Pass in the years shortly after his move.

Robert worked as an insurance agent for the Knights of Columbus from 1990-1992. He was a manager for APCOA at the Medford Airport, in Medford, OR, from 1992-1993. He also worked as Pastoral Associate at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Grants Pass, assisting with the founding of St. Anne’s Catholic School.

On November 5, 1993, he was ordained a Permanent Deacon for the Archdiocese of Portland and assigned to St. Anne’s in Grants Pass.

From 1993-1994, he did administrative and paralegal work for a tax attorney at a local accounting office.

From 1995 until September 2009, Robert worked as Pastoral Associate for St. Anne’s, serving both mission churches of St. Patrick’s in Cave Junction and Our Lady of the River in Rogue River.

After his retirement in September 2009, Robert continued to assist in his ministry at the altar every Sunday, as well as presiding as a minister over baptisms, weddings, and countless graveside services and interments. In particular, he presided over committals for military veterans and their families at Eagle Point National Cemetery. He studied Hebrew and prepared extensive genealogies for his family and his wife Kathleen’s family. Robert was a perpetual student and a lover of music, playing four musical instruments throughout his life. He always had a song in his heart. His sister Carol noted, “He was always humming,” and he could be heard singing to his pug, Digby, while on walks in his neighborhood.

At the time of Robert’s passing, he was researching the architecture and layout of Our Lady of Chartres Basilica Cathedral in France.

Robert was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Joyce Ann. He is survived by his sister Carol (Dave), his wife Kathleen, daughters Kristina and Pamela (Michael), granddaughter Jerzee, along with many nieces and nephews, and cousins.

There will be a Funeral Mass held on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 10:00am at St. Anne’s Catholic Church in Grants Pass, with recital of the rosary held at 9:15am. The Mass will be live streamed on the St. Anne Catholic Church YouTube page. A reception will follow.

Committal with Military Honors will take place at Eagle Point National Cemetery, 2763 Riley Rd, Eagle Point, OR, on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, at 2:00pm.

Donations may be made to: St. Anne’s Catholic School, 1131 NE 10th St., Grants Pass, OR 97526.

Numbers 6: 24-26