Nancy Sue Chapman passed away on the morning of July 23, 2013, at St. John?s Medical Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She was surrounded by members of her immediate family and was secure in the knowledge that the people who loved her most were with her in her final moments, both those who were physically there at her bedside and those who were on their way to be with her. She was 73 years old and died peacefully.



Nancy was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on May 20, 1940, the daughter of Frances Sue Moore and the late Burl Winkle. She was shy as a young girl and very close to her younger sister, Pamela J. Smith. However, by the time reached Central High School, she was considered by many of her classmates to be a pretty, engaging, and popular young woman, especially among more than a few of the young men at Central High.



Nancy married her high-school boyfriend in 1959, a year after graduating from Central High. Her first child, Michael, came along in November of 1960. Her second son, Todd, was born in August of 1962, and her beautiful daughter, Lori, came into her life in January of 1964. Nancy is survived by her three children, all of whom loved her dearly and will be eternally grateful to her. She was the kind of mother who always put them ahead of everything and did whatever was best for them when times were either good or challenging. Her children often tell others that whatever success that they have achieved in life, they owe it to their mother and the enduring values that she instilled in them; the importance of education, hard work, treating everyone fairly, regardless of the color of their skin, and always to remember that is one?s family that matters most in the world.



During the 1960?s Nancy was very busy tending to her three active children but by the time the 1970s arrived, she embraced the ?disco era? with great joy and enthusiasm. Nancy also was known to be a splendid dancer who loved the music of Motown and maintained a large collection of vinyl records that was the envy of many. She also introduced her children and a number of their friends to perhaps her favorite musician, Tulsa?s Leon Russell.



Some years later, in 1993, the first of her two other most precious gifts came her way and became the lights of her life throughout her remaining years. Her first grandson, Jacob Chapman (Todd?s son), was born in February, and a few years later, she became his ?nanny.? She put in many hours, days, and weeks to help raise Jake. She took him to his many football, baseball, basketball, and hockey practices and loved him dearly.



In August 2002, her second grandson, William Chapman (Michael?s son) was born in New York City, where they lived for a few years. And while she was unable to see Will as often as she wanted, she called him often, laughed at his sense of humor, marveled at his inquisitive young mind, sent him lovely cards (usually a little cash stuck inside for him to spend on whatever he wanted), and loved him as much as any grandmother could.



It?s fair to say that Nancy thought Jake and Will were the most handsome, smartest, and funniest young boys she could ever have hoped to see in her two grandsons. She was so proud of everything about them. It?s equally fair to say that Jake and Will loved their grandmother dearly. They appreciate greatly all she has done for them. Jake and Will will always carry with them wonderful memories of their Nana.



If there is but one way to describe Nancy?s finest quality as a mother, daughter, sister, aunt, grandmother, and who she was as a person, it is the unconditional love that she had for all of the adults, teenagers, and young children in her family. At family events, she was often perfectly content just to sit in a chair and soak in the joy she felt as the kids played games, went swimming, participated in sporting events, and had fun. And she would never leave a gathering without giving big hugs and her love for everyone.



Nancy will be missed by all of us, and we will always remember her as a wonderful, caring, loving woman who would do anything she could to help her loved ones when they needed her. She faced a number of challenges in her later years, but she was a strong and faithful woman who endured them with great bravery and dignity until the end of her life. We all feel fortunate to have had the chance to be with her for so many years, and we look forward to the day when we will see her again.



We love and miss you,

Michael, Todd, Lori, Frances, Pam, Lynn, Jacob, Will, Scott, and all of your nieces, nephews and other family members and friends



Gifts in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Nancy Chapman Memorial Fund for Heart Research at New York University Langone Medical Center. The family is most grateful for the extra time we had with Nancy, thanks to the extraordinary care that she received from the late Dr. Steve Colvin at NYU Langone Medical Center several years ago.



Checks may be made payable to NYU School of Medicine and noted for the Colvin Professorship Fund. Your tax-deductible gift should be mailed to:



Mr. Ken Hurd

NYU Langone Development Office

One Park Avenue

17th Floor

New York, NY 10016.



Should you wish to make a credit card donation, please call Michelle Phang at 212-404-3651.



Thank you for your generous support for NYU?s programs in heart research.