When Alex Chapman was a child, his parents got him started in sports early. In youth athletics, Chapman not only learned valuable life lessons, but also made lifelong friendships.
Chapman was a man of great stature, but his friends say he will be remembered for his big heart.
Edward Macklin met Chapman in high school and recalled that the two since then shared a deep bond through sports that grew into a decades-long friendship.
“Alex was a gentle giant,” Macklin said. “Sports was what kept us in the same realm. But it wasn’t until you became friends that you realized that he was just a genuine person and always looked out for the people around him.
Chapman, an Argentine high school teacher and youth basketball coach, died May 10 of an aneurysm. He was 43.
Macklin said although Chapman has struggled with health issues over the years, it has never stopped him from being there for others.
Macklin believes those who truly knew Chapman would remember the passion he had for impacting the lives of young people by exposing them to the lessons he learned through sports. He remembers the dedication his friend showed as he worked with children of different ages, including young boys, teenagers and young men.
Chapman believed that according to Macklin, it was not about creating the next generation of great athletes, but about helping to shape good men.
“Alex always had a heart for the kids,” says Macklin, a musician and producer from Kansas City, Kansas. “He always wanted to take those kids to the next level.
Chapman graduated from Washington High School and, according to some of his friends, his dream was not to become famous or gain fame. He just wanted to help improve his community. Growing up in Wyandotte County, he knew how easy it was for young men there to go astray. Chapman wanted to have a positive influence.
He coached the KC Hoop Squad and the KC Outlaws youth basketball teams for many years, making a positive impact on the lives of hundreds of children.
“I think coaching and the kids pushed him,” Macklin said. “That bond, relationship, consistency and love that Alex gave to student athletes was amazing.”
Friends of Chapman said his work with children went beyond being an athletic trainer and mentor for kids who played basketball. He was also a surrogate father figure to many young boys who needed someone to show them that someone cared and was there for them.
Elliot Berry, 43, first met Chapman in third grade while playing on other teams. Over the years, the two eventually played on the same teams and watched each other grow into men and fathers.
Berry says that despite the dedication Chapman showed to the young athletes he coached, his first love was fatherhood.
“He was a real presence in his children’s lives and Chap loved being a father,” Berry said. “Despite everything he went through, the relationship he had with his children was the most important thing in his life.”
Berry, the godfather of Chapman’s children and vice versa, said his family is deeply saddened by Chapman’s death and will miss the many late-night conversations about life he would have with his friend.
Although one of his oldest and closest friends is no longer here, Berry is grateful to have had someone like Chapman in his life.
“He just had a big heart and wanted the best for the people around him,” said Berry, a substitute teacher. “I will miss the hours of conversations we would have about everything going on in our lives. Just sitting and talking about memories, being a father, sports or just joking.”
Since Chapman’s death, Berry and Macklin have learned even more about their friend. They have heard several stories about how Chapman created a foundation that guides many young men to do things they never thought possible.
“He played a role in many of the lives he was involved in,” Macklin said. “He wanted to see the people around him happy and he wanted to see them win in life.”
Chapman is remembered by his mother, Paula Richardson Ivy; brother Randy Mitchell; children Reymon Chapman and Alex W. Chapman, Jr.; along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.
Other memories
Joyce Warren
Joyce Warren, insurance entrepreneur, died May 19. She was 73.
Warren was born on August 5, 1950, in Layton, Louisiana, to OC and Ophelia Gillyard.
She graduated from Sevier High School in Ferriday, Louisiana and later attended Friends University in Overland Park, Kansas, where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree.
In 1970, Warren married Andrew Warren and the couple remained married for the next 45 years until his death.
Warren worked at Gulf Insurance as an underwriter for thirty years until her retirement in 2013.
Olivia Lamar
Olivia Lamar, social worker, died May 14. She was 76.
Lamar was born on April 13, 1948 in Hollandale, Mississippi, the son of GW and Viola Cosey. She graduated from Frobel High School in 1966 and then attended Wilberforce University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education.
In 1974, she moved to Kansas City and worked as a claims representative for the Social Security Administration. She met her husband, Lorenzo Lamar, at work.
Lamar was a poll worker during election years and was heavily involved in the community.
She is remembered by her two sons, Maurice and Reginald Lamar; brothers, Foster Stephens, Larry Stephens and Andrew Johnson; along with nieces, nephews, cousins and grandchildren.
