DEBORAH JEAN CHAPMAN
1948 - 2023
Deborah Jean Chapman passed peacefully on December 13, 2023 at Skyline Memory Care in Carson City, NV, 6 weeks after celebrating her 75th birthday with several lifelong friends.
Deb was born in Los Angeles on October 30, 1948. As a bright, athletic young woman, Deb got her start as a ski instructor at Big Bear in southern CA, and then moved to Mammoth Lakes, CA. She worked at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area for many decades and her jobs (which were, in fact, her passions) included coaching the youngest ski racers, race administration, lift maintenance, and almost everything in between. In summer, she ran the very popular Mammoth Motocross races, one of a number of fundraisers she organized for High Sierra Sports, a charitable foundation established to support local snow-sport athletes academically and with competition-related travel expenses.
Deb was a successful ski racer for the Mammoth Mountain Ski Team, coached by Dave McCoy, who was her hero. She got the coaching bug from Dave, and ultimately became a wellrespected ski race “Technical Delegate” (T.D.), which is the skiing equivalent of the head official at a football game with the additional responsibilities for pre- and post-race organization, safety, and fairness. As a T.D., Deb had the chance to travel extensively throughout the US, Canada and New Zealand. Deb is one of very few women to have the honor to officiate a World Cup alpine ski race. Upon retirement, she moved to her then-brand-new home on a golf course in Dayton, NV.
Those of us who knew and loved Deb (and we are many!) also know how much she loved her “doggies”. Deb has crossed the Rainbow Bridge, where she was greeted enthusiastically by Emma (AKA Bubba), Rags, Augie, Dennis Dog, Dusty, and many more fur babies.
Deb was preceded in death by all of her immediate family members, including her beloved mother, father and brother. She is survived and missed by countless friends around the world. Deb did not want a memorial service, but she lives on in the hearts of everyone she touched. Rest in peace, dear friend, on that beautiful ski hill in the sky.