Yancey Randall Chapman

My name is Yancey Randall Chapman, and while my time on this earth has come to a close, my story is carried on through the people I loved most. Here is just a small glimpse of my life. I was blessed with a life full of simple joys. I had the best parents anyone could ever ask for, Gerald Hoyt Chapman and Carolyn Elaine Chapman, who have both gone to be with the Lord as well. I grew up hunting with my dad and brothers, Jerry and Travis, and I would have to say mornings in the woods hunting deer was my favorite thing to do. Let’s also not forget how much I loved the roar of a Clemson Tigers game on a Saturday, and when Donald Trump was elected President this year, I swelled with pride knowing our country made the right decision. That was a happy day for me. Music was another love of mine. I was a bass player through and through, and I could pick and play just about anything I put my hands on. Some of the best times of my life were spent playing in a band with my best buddies, Scott and James. Those nights filled with music, laughter, and brotherhood will always be part of my story. Let me tell you about the love of my life, Heather. She was not only the love of my life, but my partner and my comfort through every season of life. With her, I knew happiness. Together, we built a life full of laughter and memories that I will carry with me to Heaven. I was proud to be a father to my children Haily, Austin, and Shaye. Each of them is a reflection of the best parts of me, and I am overwhelmingly happy for them and the people they have grown up to be, and their wonderful spouses they chose Skylar, Haden, and Stan. Thankfully, I passed down my deer hunting legacy to my son and he will pass it down to his son, and man, that’s something to be proud of. And I am. My grandsons, Owen, Caspen, Conway, and Chief lit up my world. Though our time together was far too short, my love for them was real and pure, and I’ll always be with them in spirit. I leave this world grateful. I got a second chance at life and the Lord blessed me the most through my family. I hope my kids have strength to stand firm in who I was. My hope is that those who loved me will carry forward the best of me in their own lives. When you gather to celebrate me, don’t drown in sorrow. Remember the love I gave, the values I stood for, the music I played, and the bond we had that will never be broken. I will live on in your stories, in your laughter, in the strum of a bass line, and in the orange of every Clemson game day.

Yancey Randall Chapman

June 17, 1972 - September 12, 2025