Charles Grainger Chapman

Charles Grainger Chapman, Junior, died peacefully on May 20, 2025, in McClellanville, South Carolina. He had been dealt a tough hand at birth, yet to the wonder and delight of those who loved him, he far exceeded both the medical predictions for life expectancy and, more importantly, the usual capacity for generosity of spirit and devotion to family and friends.

Born in Charleston, South Carolina, on January 9, 1957, to Charles Grainger Chapman and Florence Clauss Chapman, Charles was greeted by four older sisters-Suzanne, Cynthia, Celia and Elaine-and later joined by younger brother Will.

Charles was born with a rare congenital heart condition called Tetralogy of Fallot. The first successful surgical repair of this condition occurred in 1954, so when his parents took Charles to the Mayo Clinic for surgeries at five and eight years old, he was among the pioneers in receiving these treatments. At that time, a child born with TOF had a limited chance of survival to adulthood, with considerable risks. Returning to the Mayo Clinic in late 2023 at age 66-accompanied by all his siblings and carrying his original Mayo Clinic ID card-Charles was heralded as a medical miracle and took pride in having been part of developing procedures that are now routinely performed on infants with great success.

As Charles grew up, his family grew more numerous and he eventually had 17 nieces and nephews, and 41 great-nieces and great-nephews. Only Charles managed to send birthday cards to every single member of the family every year. He took great pleasure in giving gifts, and did not mind skipping a meal or two so he could spend that money on others. His gifts were always carefully chosen: hot pepper seedlings he had planted for a gardener, collectible Winnie-the-Pooh plates for a niece with tiny daughters, an enormous order of gourmet cinnamon buns for a brother-in-law going through difficult medical treatments, a new coffee maker for his sister who happened to mention that hers had broken. Charles had a childhood volume of How the Grinch Stole Christmas with his and his brother Will’s names written on the inside re-bound and sent to Will one special Christmas. Charles loved to make amazing New York-style cheesecakes and share them with family and friends.

Over the years, Charles lived in Charlotte, Richmond and Columbia and eventually settled in McClellanville. In each place he lived, he made good friends with whom he remained close through long telephone calls filled with laughter. He relished television programs including the World’s Dumbest Crooks, and recounting the crazy stories he had seen gave him the chance to laugh about them all over again. Charles loved hearing and telling jokes, as well as political discussions in which he made his views abundantly clear.

Charles always loved to walk, and it was not unusual for him to take a daily trek of 17 miles. He wore no shoes, no matter how hot or bumpy the pavement for his bare and extremely calloused feet. During his years in Columbia, Charles would finish his walk at a restaurant known for its enormous pancakes. He ate one full serving, then ordered another. The waitress warned him that he could not possibly eat that much, but he proved her wrong and because he often repeated this feat he became known by the restaurant staff as “Pancake Man.”

Charles had the greenest of thumbs and loved tending to plants throughout his life. He frequently gave gifts of plants, along with good advice to those struggling with their gardens or house plants. He also loved volunteering at Bottle Tree Gardening in McClellanville. He saved zinnia flower seeds carefully and distributed them in tiny envelopes to everyone at the annual family reunion. In recent years when his health kept him from the physical labors of horticulture, he sent his sisters a daily text with a photo of a beautiful flower.

All his life, and particularly in recent years as his health challenges increased, Charles both cherished and depended on the loving and steadfast support of his siblings and their spouses. They accompanied him to medical appointments, researched and facilitated options for his treatment, and made sure his comfort and quality of life were the best they could be, while always honoring Charles’s right to live life on his terms. Charles may have jokingly complained about “The Syndicate” telling him what to do, but it was Charles who faithfully prompted the siblings to gather for weekly Sunday evening Zoom calls to stay in close touch.

Charles is survived by his sisters and brother and their spouses: Suzanne and Shade Mecum of Charlotte, NC; Cynthia and Edward Nicks of Columbia, SC; Celia and David McCarty of Park City, UT; Elaine and Gaston Fairey of Columbia, SC; and Will and Marty Chapman of St. Louis, MO. He is also survived by his numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews and their spouses and partners who Charles also considered his family.

In keeping with Charles’s fondness for McClellanville a memorial service will be held at New Wappetaw Presbyterian Church at 10:00 on Monday, June 16, 2025, followed by interment at Magnolia Cemetery in Charleston. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905. In the memo line of the check or in a separate note included in the mailing, please indicate that the donation is in memory of Charles Chapman for the benefit of the Adult Congenital Heart Defect Patient Assistance Fund.

Did Charles live so much longer than the doctors ever expected because of how much he was loved? Or was it because of how much he himself loved others? We can’t answer the question, but Charles taught us how much both matter in a life well lived.

A memorial message may be sent to the family on our website at www.jhenrystuhr.com.