Thomas John Chapo, Sr., 77, passed away peacefully at home on March 18, 2024, in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, after a long battle with cancer.

Tom was born on November 7, 1946, to Eugene and Selma, in Fort Smith, Arkansas. After graduating from Northside High School (Fort Smith) in 1964, he went on to study pre-engineering at Westark Community College and then engineering at the University of Arkansas – the beginning of his lifelong, at times unruly, love for those Razorbacks.

In his own words, he recently coined what could be the tagline for his life. Everything you need to know about this man in one sentence: I’m an engineer so when I’m asked what time it is, I’m going to tell you how to build a watch. This ideological rhetoric wove throughout his life’s story: personally, professionally, and in his faith.

His disposition of peeling back the layers for depth of understanding piqued his curiosity of religion at a young age. He relished in reflecting on the days of his youth with the Methodist church where he found solace in friendships and inquisitive studies of the religion. As a young adult he was introduced to and eventually joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints which began his lifelong mission of living, teaching, and sharing the gospel he cherished.

Taking his degree into the workforce, his career offered many opportunities to work with prominent groups and organizations on innovative projects that changed the landscape of his field. Tom was passionate about using his mind and hands to create, innovate, and be part of something larger than himself. He took pride in what he did for a living and found every opportunity to mentor and lend his knowledge to those beginning a similar career path.

As an engineer at heart, his personal life, hobbies, and activities weren’t exempt from the methodical practices and critical thinking. He was a self-taught computer enthusiast, photographer, researcher (give him a topic, any topic), history buff, genealogical superhero, avid collector of coins and stamps, and probably the biggest fan of Jan & Dean ever known – needle to vinyl was the only way to listen. And he loved to drive… the man would drive for hours, heading nowhere in particular and if luck would have it there’d be a roadside historical marker for a quick stretch of the legs and a conversation starter for the trek home.

Seeking to expose his family to his world of understanding – from idea to conception, or problem to resolution – his mindset didn’t stray far from his due north. Life was not to be given, but to be earned, and when it couldn’t be earned, build it yourself. Steadfast in this perspective, his family cultivated gardens to fill their plates, put needle to thread to make their clothes, stake to tent for exploration, imagination to mud and sticks for entertainment, nail to hammer for home improvements, solder to heat for repairs, and even DOS code books to keystrokes for the joys of a computer game. These behaviors continue as an undercurrent in the lives of his children as they build their own careers and families; a sense of pride Tom held close to his heart.

If you found yourself starting a conversation with this man, you needed two important items: time and a chair. He truly may have been the chattiest introvert you’d ever met; there almost wasn’t a topic he couldn’t carry, complete with references and sometimes even visual aids. Most important, though, you walked away knowing him better – maybe you even got a glimpse of his smile – and most likely you learned something new, too.

His legacy lives on through the seeds planted within each of his children where they continue to share it with the world in their own way, and where pieces of those seeds take shape within his grandchildren. Quite the ripple effect knowing this family will always have within us the ability to build our own watch.

Tom is predeceased by his father, Eugene John Chapo, mother, Selma (Judge) Chapo, his dear aunt, Marie (Judge) McAnally, and son John Carlos Chapo. He is survived by his wife of 51 years, Gwendolyn (McLain) Chapo, and his children: LeLainia Dalby (Russ), Thomas J. Chapo, Jr. (Kristi), LeTracia Rose (Karl), Stephenie Dellenbach (Luke), and Matthew Chapo. Also blessed to have been loved by 14 grandchildren: Abbie, Marisa, Jackson, CJ, Ella, Kaden, Bryce, Logan, Jackie, Lydia, Eli, Brooklyn, Emme, and Brody.

Tom will be buried at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Cemetery in Sand Hill, Mississippi. All friends and family are welcome to attend the memorial service on Thursday, March 28, 2024.

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