Leslie Chapman

Leslie "Les" Chapman, age 57, of Marshall died Thursday, January 31, 2008 at his home following a long illness.Mr. Chapman was born on September 16, 1950 in Leeds Yorkshire, England to Leslie and Violet (Smith) Chapman. He has been a resident of the Marshall area since 1977, moving here from Pennsylvania. As a youth he served as an engineering apprentice while attending school. He continued his engineering education attending Leeds Polytechnic in England.On July 17, 1976, he married the former Ann Vitali.Les was a well known and respected Automotive Engineer and was sought out by many individuals and companies for advice. He spent most of his career working at Simpson Industry in Litchfield.He was a member of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. When his children were attending the Marshall Public Schools, he was very involved with the PCO. He also spent many hours fund raising and volunteering for the Battle Creek Boy''s Choir. Les''s life centered on his family and on his home. He was an accomplished English Gardener, a hobby that was passed down to him from his father. He had many wonderful perennial gardens around his home. He was also an avid dart player. Les was a member of the Stagecoach Inn Dart League and won many league titles and tournaments.He is survived by his wife, Ann; son, Kevan (Jessica) Chapman of Alexandria, VA; daughter, Crista Chapman a graduate student at Indiana University, Bloomington; a sister, Margaret (David) Pritt. He was preceded in death by a sister, Beryl Chapman.A memorial service will take place on Monday at 1:30pm at the Kempf Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Battle Creek Boy Choir. Assistance with memorials is available at the Kempf Funeral Home.