Rita Barbara Chapman

A Mass of Christian burial will be conducted for Rita Barbara Chapman, age 85, at 10:30 on Saturday, April 24 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Delcambre, LA. Visitation will begin at the Church at 9:00 with a rosary at 9:45.
Barbara was born in New Orleans, LA and entered the US Navy in 1954 as a female officer at the age of 21. Barbara attended Sacred Heart Academy prep school in Grand Coteau and graduated from college at the age of 18 with a degree in mathematics and education. She met her husband, Joe Chapman in the Navy and they were both honorably discharged in 1958, the year of their marriage. Barbara would go on to get her masters degree in Education from USL and she taught high school mathematics in Delcambre for over 30 years. Barbara and Joe spent most of their adult life in Delcambre where they were both school teachers. She was a woman of great intellect and many students have credited her with giving them the math prep they needed to make it through college. She was a loving mother and grandmother and will be deeply missed by all.
Barbara is survived by her sister Ruth Ford of Abilene, TX , brother, CL Viator of New Iberia, her sons Bryant Chapman and his wife Marcelle of Houston Texas and Stuart Chapman and his wife Penny of Thibodeaux, 5 grandchildren and 4 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband Joe Chapman and parents, Claude Viator and Noelie Gaja Viator.