Jesse Pugh Chapman III
July 5, 1945 ~ August 23, 2025
Born in:
Selma, AL
Resided in:
Asheville, NC
Asheville Butterfly TrailJesse Pugh Chapman III, 80, of Asheville, passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 23, 2025. He was born on July 5, 1945, in Selma, Alabama, to the late Jesse Pugh Chapman Jr. and Frances Irene Day Chapman.
Jesse devoted his life to teaching and was especially proud of his work as a chemistry teacher at the Illinois School for the Deaf. His career was defined by patience, compassion, and a genuine love for helping others learn and succeed. Beyond his work, Jesse was a devoted husband, father, brother, and friend. He was a committed deacon at First Baptist Church of Asheville where he served in many capacities. Jesse also had a great passion for photography, from which many benefited. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him.
He is survived by his loving wife, Mary Daniels; his son, Jesse Chapman IV (RaeLynn); his daughter, Amy Longstreth (David); his stepdaughter, Leigh Bost (Jay); his brother James Chapman (Andrea); and grandchildren: Elisabeth (Jesse), Paul, Jacob, Kathryn (Ethan), Natalie, Connor and Lydia and great-grandchild David. He was preceded in death by his sister, Elisabeth Chapman, and his granddaughter, Isabella Chapman.
A funeral service to honor Jesse’s life will be held on Saturday, August 30, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Asheville. The family will receive friends immediately following the service, until 1:00 p.m. Interment will take place later that afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at Green Hills Cemetery.
The family asks that friends remember Jesse for the kindness and dedication he brought into the world and the countless lives he touched along the way.
Groce Funeral Home on Patton is assisting the family.
Services
Funeral Service: August 30, 2025 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
First Baptist Church of Asheville
5 Oak Street
Asheville, NC 28801
(828)252-4781
Visitation: August 30, 2025 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
First Baptist Church of Asheville
5 Oak Street
Asheville, NC 28801
(828)252-4781
Burial: August 30, 2025 3:00 pm
Green Hills Cemetery
25 New Leicester Hwy.
Asheville, NC 28806
(828)252-9831
Funeral Home Assisting The Family:
Groce Funeral Home - Patton Ave.
1401 Patton Ave.
Asheville, NC 28806
(828)252-3535
http://www.grocefuneralhome.com
So sorry for the loss of this kind and giving man. Our deepest sympathy to the family.
Jesse, you will be missed by so many. The love and care you gave to everyone who was lucky enough to cross your path is amazing. I will miss your joy and love for life. Thank you for always loving me and my family.
Jesse was a valued staff member at the Illinois School for the Deaf as both a teacher and an administrator. I am so sorry for your loss. May your memories of Jess help you through this difficult time.
Condolences to the family and friends of such a dedicated man. May his faith and love for his Lord and Savior be a constant reminder and inspiration of God’s love for us all. We pray that every moment of sorrow be overshadowed by the many wonderful memories and the love that he left behind. May God’s Mercy and Grace comfort you always.
Jesse was a dear friend and one of the kindest individuals that I have ever had the honor of knowing. His father and my father practiced medicine in Asheville and were also very good friends with great respect for one another. I will genuinely miss my dear friend Jesse but he sure left a legacy of kindness
I met Jess in ‘84 when he and Sheila walked over and welcomed us to the neighborhood. They soon became friends and the best neighbors I’ve ever had. It was Jesse who introduced our family to Dr. James Dobson of Focus on The Family. That introduction impacted my family in a very positive way. Jesses family were influential in our family’s Christian walk. We shared many good and meaningful times together for many years. He truly was a kind and caring man. May God be with his family at this most difficult time and may peace be with all who knew him and loved him.