Harry Sinquefield Chapman, Jr

Harry Sinquefield Chapman Jr., 74, devoted husband, father, and Pop/Papa found peace Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, ending a long, courageous journey with cancer one day before his 40th wedding anniversary.

Harry was born on Oct. 13, 1951, the third of four children of Harry Sr. and Nell Chapman of Sarasota, Fla. A golden child and a natural athlete, he quickly developed a life-long love of the water, splitting his time between skiing, swimming, surfing and working from an early age at his father’s Royal Crown Cola, Nehi bottling company.

In 1969, he was a senior at Sarasota High School when a scout for the Boston Red Sox minor league affiliate witnessed his over 90 mph fastball in action and offered him the opportunity to spend the next year playing the sport professionally for the team based out of Vero Beach, Fla.

The next year, in 1970, Uncle Sam came calling and he was drafted into his nation’s service. After basic training in San Antonio, Texas, Harry was given a choice between going to Vietnam or playing baseball for the Air Force. He was sent to Europe and spent several years in service there, including a security detail at the 1972 Olympic games in Munich, Germany. He suffered an injury on duty and was honorably discharged as an E-4 Buck Sergeant in South Dakota in 1973.

After spending years near his family in Sarasota, he moved to Atlanta in 1980 where he worked for Trans America. In 1982 he and his brother, Jeffery, opened a pub, which Harry managed, in Clarkston, GA. It was there that he met Melinda McGuinn in 1985.

After a whirlwind courtship, they were married Jan. 25, 1986. That year they moved into their first home in Centerville, where they raised their three children.

A lifelong competitive athlete, Harry played on the pub’s softball and darts teams, and as an avid outdoorsman often enjoyed long fishing and deer hunting trips. He loved gardening. The couple bought their first boat and spent the summers camping and boating with their growing extended family.

In 1993 Harry left the pub and began a 20-year career as an industrial pipefitter.

“Nobody ever worked as hard as Harry Chapman,” Melinda said, explaining that he often worked more than 70-hour weeks, but almost never missed his children’s sporting and extracurricular events.

An avid golfer, Harry joined the Atlanta Senior Golf Association and served as a marshal at the Cherokee Run golf course.

In 2021 he and Melinda moved to Augusta to be closer to their three children and growing crop of grandbabies.

Harry will be remembered for his quiet confidence, dry wit, capable hands and the love he held for his family.

Preceding him in death are his parents and brother Jeffery Chapman.

He is survived by his wife, Melinda; children Amanda (Parish) Howard, Eric (Mary) Chapman and Wanda Nicole (James) Reed; sisters Pamela Hugo and Jerry Lynn Coughlin; grandchildren Hayden, Lexie, Clementine, Mikayla, Evangeline, Wyatt, Leon and Sonny; as well as a host of nieces, nephews, and friends.

The family would like to thank the caring doctors and nurses at the MCG Cancer Center and Charles Norwood VA.

Services will be held Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. at Platt’s Funeral Home off Belair Road with visitation one hour prior. Graveside service with military honors will be Friday, Jan. 30, at 9:30 a.m. at the Georgia National Cemetery in Canton, Ga.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Georgia Cancer Center in Augusta, Ga.

Platt's Funeral & Cremation Services, 337 N. Belair Road, Evans, GA 30809. Please sign the guestbook at www.plattsfuneralhome.com