G. Courtney Chapman

G. Courtney Chapman, 96, of Worthington, Ohio, passed away peacefully on Saturday, July 11, surrounded by loving family: his wife, Barbara Avery, his daughter, Beth Woodman, and his granddaughter, Samantha Woodman. To know Courtney Chapman was to know a man in motion — a pilot, an engineer, a soldier, a teacher, a public servant, and a world traveler — who never stopped setting his sights on the next horizon. Whether in the cockpit, the classroom, the council chamber, or the community he called home for over 65 years, he built things meant to last: safer skies, stronger institutions, and a town he helped shape for generations to come. He will be remembered for his love of family and friends, his devotion to service, and his unwavering belief that a life well-lived is one always reaching toward its next goal. Courtney was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois in 1952. However, that same year he began his career as an aviator with the U.S. Navy, flying seaplanes until 1965, which led to his career as a pilot. He joined Ohio Army National Guard in order to fly helicopters and remained a member until 1984. He commanded an Aviation Maintenance unit and retired with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He began teaching at the University of Illinois Institute of Aviation under the leadership of Chairman Jack Eggspuehler. Jack brought Courtney to Ohio State University as Assistant Professor in the Department of Aviation. He acquired an MBA from the University of Dayton and became a Registered Professional Engineer in Safety Engineering. In 1971 he consulted with the Columbus Safety Director on the selection of the city's first police helicopters and pilots, personally training the first class of police helicopter pilots. Between his years at Ohio State, he served as Director of Research Aviation Training Films for Sanderson Films and later worked as a Principal Research Scientist at Battelle Columbus Laboratories, contributing to NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System. Forced to end his flying career by a diagnosis of Marfan, a congenital condition characterized by a vulnerable aorta, he took early retirement from the OSU faculty. He joined the Ohio Adjutant General's Office of Emergency Management Agency, and helped many Ohio counties develop their Emergency Management Departments and plans. After retiring from OEMA, he worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for 19 years. Courtney was elected to Worthington City Council for 17 years at two different times. He served on the Municipal Development Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals, and chaired the Community Relations Commission. Surprisingly, his favorite role was as Trustee of Walnut Grove and Flint Cemeteries. He started a Cemetery Advisory Committee of volunteers, which, with the aid of Elaine Russell, the Cemetery Secretary, produced stunningly creative projects at Flint: a veterans’ garden, a meditation area with fountain and entrance area made with rescued flour mill wheels, and a granite memorial wall, where Barbara’s son and mother are memorialized. As a member of the Dublin-Worthington Rotary Club, he served as Club President, sat on the Board of Trustees, and chaired the International Service Committee for 25 years. He was an advocate for Rotary international avenues of service, including international conferences, hosting of exchange students, projects all over the world, including the Dominican Republic and Mongolia. He and Barbara founded the Worthington International Friendship Association, where they served as the first two presidents. They led a group to visit Sayama, Japan, which eventually became a Sister City, exchanging visits between the cities’ residents regularly. He was the proud father of two children, daughter Beth Woodman, one of a few woman graduates in Computer Science at OSU, and son Mark Chapman, who preceded him in death. He was a loving grandfather to Samantha M. Woodman, who called him “Elephant Grandpa” because, when she was a child, he crawled around with her on his back. He greatly appreciated his great-nephew and namesake, Courtney Baker Chapman (“Little Courtney”) , who provided a great deal of support over the years. After he married Barbara Avery in 1993, they traveled extensively and vigorously, taking a 15-day trek in the Himalayas to within 4 miles of Mount Everest in 1997, and climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to 19,012 ft. on the edge of its caldera in 2000, using expert advice to avoid altitude sickness. As would be expected, Courtney reached his goals for age 95 last year: he learned to ride horseback, and then rode a horse in the West—at White Stallion Ranch in Arizona. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Veteran Companion Animal Services (VCAS).

G. Courtney Chapman

November 18, 1929 - July 11, 2026