James H. "Speed" Chapin

James H. “Speed” Chapin, age 90, of Oshkosh went home to be with his precious Lord and Savior on Tuesday, November 27, 2018 at Aurora Medical Center of Oshkosh. As he put it, this was his “last promotion.” He was born in Oshkosh on August 30, 1928 to the late Joseph and Mary (Jackling) Chapin. James married Violet Christensen on November 12, 1949 and their marriage was blessed with 10 children.
James served in the U.S. Navy (1945-1949). After the military, he and his brothers started Chapin Roofing. Upon retirement, he worked hauling scrap iron into his seventies. He had a strong work ethic and enjoyed keeping busy. The grass never grew under his feet.
James was a former member of Victory Baptist Church. He also volunteered at the Salvation Army for more than 20 years. He did everything from washing dishes to picking up church members on Sunday.
He possessed a huge heart and shared his love freely but the two things he loved most were Jesus Christ and his family. He taught by example: to be humble, pray, give selflessly, LOVE, work hard, laugh (a lot), show affection, have fun, be thankful, “look up at the birds and the beauty around you.” He was courageous even to the end when he said, “When it happens, don’t worry because God’s got it all figured out.” He was deeply loved and will be missed until the day when we will see him again.
James is survived by his loving wife Violet, and their 8 children: Jack (Marion), Danny (Beth), Valerie (John) Kent, Larry (Karen), Randy (Bonnie), Darrell (Mary), Ricky (Malissa), Marylyn (Greg Albrecht) Ochowicz; 24 grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; sisters: Thelma (Gerald) Reynolds, Mildred (Don) McVay, Laurel (Vernon) Schroeder.
He was preceded in death by his sons, Leroy (Christa Henry) and Garland and 13 siblings.
A memorial service for James will be held on December 15th at Community Church, 2351 Ryf Road with Dr. Alan Cleveland officiating. Visitation will be held from 11-1, service to follow. Inurnment will take place at Lake View Memorial Park.
The Chapin family would like to extend their sincere thank you to James’ Nurse Practitioner, Kelly Cihowiak, the staff of Bella Vista and Aurora Hospice, especially Kim Birr for the exceptional care given to James. Your kindness will never be forgotten.