She was instrumental in helping preserve Chelsea’s Historic Governor Bellingham-Cary House
Jean Elizabeth (Hagan) Chapman passed away gently at Newton Wellesley Hospital on September 7, 2026 at age 101.
She lived her entire life as a resident of Chelsea. Jean married Charles Chapman Sr. at the start of WWII at 18 years old, and they had almost 75 years together before his passing in 2018. Her younger brother, Patrick Joseph Hagan Jr. passed in 2004. She is survived by her son, Charles E. Chapman Jr. and his wife, Patricia “Casey” and her daughter, Nancy Donoghue and her husband, Geoffrey. Jean adored her grandchildren, both her grandson, Brendan Donoghue and his wife, Kate Fagerstrom Donoghue and her granddaughter, Nora Donoghue and her husband, Jonathan Meyers. She is survived by nieces and nephews, Kevin Hagan, Lisa Martel, Kyle Hagan and Leslie Bartlett.
Jean worked in her younger years as a bookkeeper. After WWII, she trained as a nurse and worked part time in a doctor’s office when her children were of school age, later working full time as a charge nurse at the Don Orione Nursing Home. Jean continued working past retirement age.
Jean became a Girl Scout leader to a troop of young brownies and kept that same group of girls together throughout their high school years.
Jean and Charlie absolutely loved to travel, making many friends along the way. They often alternated travel destinations by years, one year visiting places in Europe, and the next year traveling across the US or Canada with their European friends.
Supporting her husband’s love of painting and displaying military miniatures and dioramas, Jean and Charlie attended many conventions as Lancers USA over the years.
Jean also had a love of history, and a desire to see a historic home in Chelsea restored and preserved. Now called the C, Jean served on the board in several roles over the years, and could often be found dusting, washing floors, and helping to plan fundraisers to make the restoration become a reality.
Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend Jean’s visiting hours at the Carafa Family Funeral Home, 389 Washington Ave., Chelsea on Friday, September 18 from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.. A Funeral Service will follow the visitation in the Funeral Home at 12 noon. Services will conclude with interment at Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Governor Bellingham Cary House, GBCH Association Box 505673 Chelsea, Ma 02150.
We encourage family and friends to visit carafafuneralhome.com to share memories and offer condolences by means of the online guest book or to send a personalized sympathy card.