Alvin Chapman

Alvin Chapman, 65, of Norwood, passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 18, 2026 at his home with family by his side.

A memorial gathering will be held at 4:00 PM on Saturday, January 10, 2026 at Edwards Funeral Home in Norwood, NC.  A photo gallery will be available on their facebook page.

Alvin was born on October 5, 1960 in Mecklenburg County to the late Ruel H. Chapman and Gwendolyn Snuggs Chapman.  He was an ardent member of the youth group of Eastern Hills Baptist Church in Charlotte.  He attended Independence High School.  He is survived by his son, Stephen M. Chapman (Megan King), his brothers, Ruel ‘Chap’ Chapman, II (Vonnie) and Milton Chapman (Lynn).  He also leaves behind many dear friends across North America.

Among his many interests, he was a member of the Charlotte rock and roll band Driver.  He was an artist, creating realistic pencil drawings; a jeweler, creating one-of-a-kind pieces from precious metals and stones; and a leather worker.  He had a keen eye for spotting sharks teeth on a beach, or arrowheads and other stone tools in a freshly plowed field.  While living in the western U.S. he enjoyed his contributions in building Swiss-styled cabins from authentic, imported components.

Alvin’s greatest calling was that of rock climbing.  Once bitten by that bug, he was compelled to follow his passion wherever it took him, developing many first ascent routes along the way.  He began in North Carolina, primarily in Crowder’s Mountain State Park.  He then moved to Colorado where he worked as a product representative to the climbing and skiing communities for JRAT, an outdoor soft goods manufacturer.  He developed new climbing routes in Colorado, Texas and Mexico, and climbed multiple routes on El Capitan in Yosemite Valley.  His detailed line drawings of rock faces highlighting climbing routes were published in many climbing guides.  After retiring from climbing he greatly enjoyed fishing, hunting, and NASCAR.

The family wishes to thank the following:

The John P. Murray Community Care Clinic where his cancer was correctly diagnosed.

Dr. Raghava Induru, MD of the Atrium Health Levine Cancer Institute and his most excellent and caring staff.

Tillery Compassionate Care, especially Rick Burris, RN, and Wendy Jenkins, who provided exceptional hospice care in the home, both for Alvin and for his family.

Expressions of condolence to the Chapman family may be sent to 8525 Carly Lane West, Mint Hill, NC 28227.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations in honor of Alvin Chapman to the following non-profit organizations:

The John P. Murray Community Care Clinic, 303 Yadkin St., Suite C, Albemarle, NC  28001  phone: (980)323-4668

Tillery Compassionate Care, 960 N. 1st St., Albemarle, NC  28001  phone: (704) 983-4216

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