Obituary of Kathleen (Kathy) Elizabeth Chapman

Kathleen (Kathy) Elizabeth Chapman, 56, passed away at home on April 5, 2018. Born September 28, 1961 at St. Francis Hospital, Kathy was the daughter of Thomas (aka Darby O’Toole) and Mary A. Sweeney.  

Growing up, Kathy played softball and enjoyed pond ice skating and sneaking people into the drive-in. She graduated from Arlington High School in 1979. She was most known, however, for rescuing and hiding injured or abandoned animals. She volunteered for several years at the Dutchess County ASPCA’s annual Paws-in-the-Park event. 

 She married Brian Chapman on May 8, 1982, at Holy Trinity in Arlington, NY. Together they enjoyed gardening and raising countless cats and dogs. They also raised a couple of kids on the side. Kathy was obsessed with Halloween and enjoyed scaring the neighborhood children with elaborate decorations. She was an avid camper, especially in poor weather conditions. Never one to put on airs, Kathy was happy to eat room-temperature soup directly from the can while working as the floral manager during her 30 years with Stop & Shop.

 She is survived by her husband, Brian of Poughkeepsie, NY, her daughters, Sara and Amanda of New York, NY, and her granddaughter Luna. She was the sister of Patricia O’Hanlon of Redhook, NY and Richard Sweeney of Balston Spa, NY, and was predeceased by her brother Bill Sweeney of Destin, Florida. She was a loving aunt to Erin and Kate, niece to Betty Hellard of Lexington, KY and daughter-in-law to Jeanette Chapman (her bff) of Poughkeepsie, NY as well as various cousins from Connecticut to Kentucky. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. 

 The party will never be the same, but she is already telling inappropriate jokes with her parents, her brother, and Uncles Frank and Bill. Services will be held at your local Irish pub at your own discretion. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Dutchess County ASPCA or the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). Woohoo!

Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Timothy P. Doyle Funeral Home 371 Hooker Ave. Poughkeepsie, New York 12603. If you would like to leave an online condolence please visit our website at www.doylefuneralhome.com