(November 8, 1935 – July 1, 2020)
THE BURIAL SERVICE WILL BE PRIVATE DUE TO THE CURRENT CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE.
RESPECTS can be paid at Comanche Funeral Home on Sunday, July 5, 2020, and Monday, July 6, 2020, between 10:00 A.M. and 3:00 P.M.
MEMORIALS: The family suggests memorials to the Comanche Public Library, 311 N. Austin Street, Comanche, Texas 76442; or Taylor’s Chapel Cemetery Association, c/o Zulean Poynor, 4351 Hwy 2247, Comanche, Texas 76442.
Donna Lee (Brazell) Chapman, aged 84, passed away in Fort Worth, Texas, on July 1, 2020. Born North of Tolar, Texas, on November 8, 1935, to Alvin and Margaret (Dumas) Brazell, she graduated from the Tolar Public School and attended Tarleton State College in Stephenville. She continued her education and received a master’s degree in Library Science from the North Texas State College. Donna married her college sweetheart, James (Biggie) Chapman of Comanche County on May 31, 1957, and they returned to his childhood home of Comanche in 1959 with an infant daughter, Joyce. Donna and James began their teaching careers in Sidney, Texas.
The family added two boys, John and Paul and moved west where Donna taught in Hobbs and then Fluvanna, Texas. They returned to the area, and taught in Blanket, where the family grew again with the birth of another boy, David. They then moved to Comanche and Donna started teaching at Comanche High School. During her teaching career, Donna taught many grades and subjects, including the first computer science class in Comanche. But her first love was always the library, and eventually after years in the classroom, Donna became the librarian at Comanche High School. That job and her previous experience with computers led to a position as Comanche ISD’s technology coordinator. Even after her retirement she helped maintain the school library in Sidney and was the Director of the Comanche TelNet Community Network.
Not a couple for idleness, Donna and James became regulars at the senior dances in the area, published several books about local history and genealogy, and secured several local historical markers.
She was preceded in death by her husband James (who she always called Jim) in January 2020, her parents, a son John Tom Chapman, brother Alvin Brazell, sisters Betty Kizer and Beatrice Sutherlin.
She is survived by her daughter, Joyce Pinkerton and her husband Brennan of Fort Worth; son Paul Chapman and his wife Amy of Keller; son David Chapman of Fort Worth; one sister Pauline Oakes of Stephenville; four grandchildren—Ross Pinkerton, Reid Pinkerton and his wife Drue, Ethan Chapman, and Bethany Chapman; and two great grandchildren—Jackson Pinkerton and Willa Pinkerton.
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