June Joy Chapman

June Joy Chapman, 89 of Houston TX passed on from earth to eternity on September 28, 2023. June was born June 1, 1934, in Los Angeles, California to Louis and Anna Cornaggia. She is preceded in death by her husband Raoul Edouard Chapman of 61 years of marriage and sister Carmelita Cornelius. June is survived by a daughter Deborah Anne and husband Carl Daniel Cooper, a son Michael Edouard and wife Cathryn Frances Chapman, one grandchild Megan Rebecca and husband James Robert Caruso II, two great granddaughters Laney Grace Caruso and Bailey Kate Caruso as well as a niece Nanette Cevulski and nephew Edward Cornelius. A 50 year resident of Houston, June recently relocated to Katy TX. First generation Italian American, June grew up in Los Angeles, CA. She was born late in life to Louis and Anna Cornaggia. They lived on Verdugo Rd where the family owned a poultry market and lot. June graduated from Holy Family Catholic High School then graduated Glendale College with an Associate of Arts degree in Bookkeeping. She enjoyed time at the beach with friends and learning to knit from her mother. Due to her Italian heritage, there were numerous family celebrations with lots of traditional food. After graduating from college, June worked for the Los Angeles Times newspaper in the accounting department. There she met and soon married Raoul Chapman on December 27, 1958 at St. Bernard Catholic Church in Los Angeles CA. Raoul had just returned from the US Air Force serving during the Korean War, stationed in Bermuda. They made their home in Los Angeles where Mike and Debbie were born and Raoul started a career with Shell Oil Co. In 1962 the family was transferred to the San Francisco Bay Area and in 1970 transferred to Houston TX. Being a busy mother of two children, June organized schedules, cooked meals, carpooled kids around, enjoyed neighbors, attended church and celebrated every holiday with traditional Italian meals. She attended many Little League baseball games, numerous Skeet Shoot competitions, and uncountable Swim Meets. As an empty nester, June enjoyed needle work. All kinds of stitching and needlepoint! She joined a group of ladies that were obsessed with stitching and there were many regular outings to yarn shops and lunch. She completed so many beautiful works of art and there was always another one in the que. Working as a bookkeeper at The Colombia Company for 10 years, June excelled and worked directly for the president of this mid-size company. She had several co-worker friends there and together they organized numerous luncheons for clients. She eventually got her Real Estate license and worked for 15 years as a realtor with Coldwell Banker in West Houston. June liked flower gardens and she tried her hand at Texas gardening. The hot, humid Houston weather and biting mosquitos was discouraging. Being from California, the Texas weather was hard for her to overcome and she eventually gave up “on the pretty stuff” to focus on Day Lilies. Jane Cooper shared beloved varieties as well as they collected many from a local Daylily farm. In recent years June, with help from her friend Bob Bissonnet, detailed the emigration travels of the Cornaggia and Denato family from Italy to America. Lots of original pictures and documents gave her much enjoyment and a meaningful story to tell. Since Raoul passed in 2019, much time was spent with Debbie. As helper/caregiver, there were always weekly visits with a chore or two in between restaurant meals at their favorite places. Randalls grocery was a regular outing, the managers there knew June and welcomed her every Friday. She had good neighbors, the Burmans who were always there to assist her, where would we have been without them! Cindy and her sweet pups always brought her newspaper to the front door so she could avoid the uneven sidewalk. Most recently, living at the Carriage Inn for almost two years, June made close friendships with the staff and residents. The Carriage Inn provided a safe, loving and fun environment in which June flourished in her last years. She loved games and there was always some sort of challenge going on. Trivia was not a game she liked and especially not Texas Trivia! June kept herself busy with a new love of jigsaw puzzles. She and her friend Shirley enjoyed lively conversation while sorting the endless pieces of flowers, pet tails and faces. From time to time the staff would stop and enjoy a break and help out. Approximately 12 beautiful puzzles were completed and 8 were framed and auctioned to the residents. Everyone wanted one of Junes puzzles and thru this artwork, all are blessed. Meeka, the activity director loved organizing activities and events that kept everyone on their toes! Beautiful Mothers’ Day celebrations with Chicken and Waffles, special salad, Cauliflower/Apple soup, and bubbly drinks made all moms feel appreciated and loved. A fun Christmas in July with Surfing Santas, homemade cookies and carols. A Harvest Festival with Cake Walk, music and a juggling tall man on stilts. Thank you Meeka, for your loving heart. Early in the year a Bible study group started. Many residents became studiers of the Gods Word and some residents came just came and listened. June had never really “studied” the Bible and was really enjoying picking up the details of scripture. Gods story to reconcile us to him was always central to our time together…… Jesus. God created everything and had so much more love to give that he created mankind. Adam and Eve loved God but were tricked into thinking that they should run their own life. That decision hurt God and caused a separation-that separation is called sin. This bad decision is inherited by all humanity therefore we are all born separated from God. But God had a plan to fix the separation and He came to earth to present the plan thru a human we could relate to- Jesus, fully God and fully man. Jesus spoke to us so that we would know this plan and want to reconcile that separation. And it is thru Jesus the Christ, we are restored and have peace with God. Amen June will always be remembered as a loving wife, mother and grandmother. We are eternally grateful to God for blessing us with such a lovely soul. She will live forever in our heart.

June Joy Chapman

June 1, 1934 - September 28, 2023