Jesse Pugh Chapman III

Jesse 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.