This memorial website was created in the memory of our beloved son, stepson, brother, father, uncle, cousin and friend Anthony Chapa who was born in Germany on June 14, 1974 and entered eternal life on November 24, 2006 at the age of 32. Known for his compassionate heart, his skills and dedication as a respiratory therapist, his love for children, his enthusiasm and his beautiful smile and kindness which continuously touched the lifes of so many people. Anthony was full of life and an adventerous soul. We will remember him and keep him in our hearts forever.(Please scroll down for tributes)
If you are interested to read "the letter to the Cheyenne police department" you can do so at this website/blog : www.Anthony1974.wordpress.com
a note June 18-2008: I sent an email to many of you in regards to being in the process of creating/ordering a hardcover Memorial Book (179 pages)in Anthony's honor (from this website). I have quiet a few older contributions, but would like if anyone else would like to add a story, thoughts, poem or memories. Anything you post on this web site or, email me (Regina) directly, I will include in the book (if you like). Also, it will have a "gallery of photos of Anthony's friends (including childhood friends), co-workers and relatives and any extended family members". Please send or email the photo of yourself which you'd like to contribute. Whoever shared and/or contributed their pic, will receive a copy of it later (if you would like a copy of the book and/or "Gallery", you need to let me know though) Peace and Blessings to you all Regina
Email me at regina777@myway.com if you have any questions. If you click on "His Legacy" in the upper tool bar, you can read more tributes. We are still working on creating the timeline, family tree and video/audios and will let you know when it has been updated. Thanks you for visiting this site and may God Bless you and Keep you all.
a few comments which were added to slide.com recently (July 2008):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Comments
Ann Smith RRT Danville
(1 day ago) I see your smiling face and still cant believe you are gone. But your spirit will live on in all of us. "It is not the length of your life but the depth" and yours was deep and wide. You touched so many hearts. I will miss you always and will never forget
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anthony I think of you every day and miss you. You were such a great friend. My favorite picture is when you were in Danville,VA. It reminds of the good times we had working the night shift. The world misses you but heaven is a better place with ya in it ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chris and Jean-Claude
Anthony, you are so missed, you were my sons best friend and always will be, you are in his thoughts and dreams, he also had your name tatooed in the back of his neck, we love you
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Remembering Anthony/for Memorial Nov 2006 / Buck (Good Friend and Co-worker )
Remembering Anthony Remembering Anthony ---- by Buck Buchanan My name is Buck Buchanan, and I worked with Anthony at the hospital in Cheyenne. Anthony and I both worked the night shift, and I had been working with him only a short time when I realized he was one of the best respiratory therapists I'd ever been around. In fact, early in our friendship I told Anthony that he should consider trying to get into medical school. That's how good of a health care professional I thought Anthony was. We are here today to remember Anthony, and I am certain that at the top of his own list of ways we should remember him, is that he earnestly tried to be the best respiratory therapist his skills and God would allow. He served his community well, and there are countless people in Wyoming, at this very moment, living a little better life and breathing a little easier because of Anthony's work and dedication.
I will always remember Anthony's smile and laugh. They were like some kind of soothing medicine, and anybody that was lucky enough to get a dose of it, instantly knew the meaning of the lyrics from that old song that claimed,"...when you're smiling, the whole world smiles with you..."
I will always remember Anthony's charm. His mere presence somehow made you feel better, and the grind that life sometimes deals us quickly waned whenever Anthony was at your side. Whenever he greeted you, you knew life was getting ready to get interesting. You knew you were about to hear about some news story that had gotten Anthony's attention or about some adventure trip that he and Adrienne had taken or about some whacky website that he had found. And as you sat there and listened to him, you could not help but realize you were being charmed.
I will always remember Anthony's intellect. He was somewhat of a newshound, but he never settled for just the headlines of what some blow-dried newscaster was telling him. He always dug a little bit deeper, he always checked the facts.
I will always remember Anthony as a well-traveled young man. He spent time (to name just a few)in California, the East Coast, Alaska, Arizona nad finally Wyoming. And because of his travels, I believe Anthony had an uncanny read on our country's pulse.
I will always remember Antony's love and longing for his son, Cyrus, who for the last few years has been a thousand miles away, but always played on Anthony's heart strings, each and every day. On his locker at work Anthony had taped two pictures : One of Cyrus, the other was of Anthony holding Cyrus.
I will always remember Anthony's Love for his mother Regina, his father Mike, his sister Erika and his brother Josh. He spoke lovingly and he spoke often of you all. He had unrivaled and passionate family pride.
I will always remember Anthony's Love for the outdoors and of fishing. On one fishing trip it occured to me that Anthony approached fishing with the anticipation and the enthusiasm of a kid. It was as if Christmas time was under that water. And he was a good fisherman, too. He always seemed to catch more than anybody else who was fishing with him. And I know of one small lake , just outside of Cheyenne, and just below a beautiful mesa, where the fish, upon hearing the news that Anthony has left us, are now breathing a collective sigh of relief.
I will always remember Anthony as one of my best billiard buddies. He loved the game, but I am not sure why he wanted to play with me, because frequently and resoundingly I took him to the cleaners. But like some little puppy he just kept coming back for more. He wouldn't give up. So Anthony, if you're listening and if there are pool tables on the other side, then go ahead and rack'em up, pal. I'm not sure when I'll get there, but when I do, I look forward to giving yo the chance to even the score.
I will always remember Anthony as one heck of a cook. He constantly pursued knowledge of the culinary world, and I will never forget the pasta with basil pesto he made on the fly for several of us afater we'd all been out on the town. I can almost taste it now.
I will remember all of these things about Anthony, and I will also remember him with his girlfriend Adrienne. They were a handsome couple. And let it be known that the glitzy, young Hollywood couples that fill the tabloids have nothing on these two. Anthony's and Adrienne's good looks, their earthiness and their humility puts them all to shame. I am almost twenty years older than Anthony was, and one would think that someone my age could teach someone his age a thing or two about friendship. Truth be known, it was the other way around. For me, Anthony brought into fine focus the meaning and the value of friendship. He didn't just sit around and wait for friendship to work its maagic: Anthony often seized the moment and injected his own magic into friendship. If God should grace me with a hundred more years on this good earth, there is no doubt in my mind that every single day of it, I will remember my friend, Anthony Chapa. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remembering Anthony From Anthony's girlfriend Adrienne:
Anthony was my best friend and fiance. We travelled all over the place togehter. His adventourous soul is one of the many things I adore about him. Our travels are something I will keep in my heart forever and never let the memories of those times die. Anthony's passion for cooking was incredible. He as a great cook, so imaginative, coming up with new recipes all the time. The funny thing is we would decide what to have for dinner and get into the kitchen and fight about who was going to do what. Of course he was always the spice master. It always turned out delicious. Cooking was something Anthony enjoyed. Anthony was always so compassionate. If anyone needed advice, Anthony was the man. And if he didn't know the answer, he would find out for you. He was so smart and hated when you told him so. He was an information junkie, constantly watchig the news. He also loved to fish, even though he often didnt' catch anything, but he would love to stand out there anyway. It was peaceful for him. Anthony always loved music and dancing. We would dance all over the house together, or at a club or anywhere. He really enjoyed that. He was a strong, yet sensitive man. I always loved his smile and his sarcastic sense of homor, so quick and witty. I love that man. He taught me so many things about life. He was also a very practical man and always preached about integrity. I will always remember what he used to say: "Integrity, it's the one thing no one can take away from you, but you can give it away in a second". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Anthony's ex-wife Gina and his son Cyrus: There are so many great things to say about Anthony. There are also so many ways to describe what a precious and wonderful man he was. Anyone who was lucky enough to have had Anthony in their lives at any point, would tell you that they have just met a truly talented and blessed man.
He was very special to all of us. He was not just a trustworthy friend, a good son, or a strong, loving husband and father, he was an all around good and decent person to everyone. He would be the first person to help out anyone in need.
Anthony did not live his life in vain. He was so full of life, and yet he was taken away from us before his time. It is truly sad and heartbreaking that we all have lost a gifted and intelligent man. I pray that he gets the peace and tranquility that he was searching for and so deeply deserves.
Anthony was truly loved and will always be missed by all. But he shall forever be remembered. And will eternally hold a special place in all of our hearts.
SUE HAIRSTON (CO-WORKER) Anthony was such a wonderful person ,always with a smile and a good attitude about everything.We laughed about a watch he bought on e-bay and it was so ugly. He will be sorely missed by everyone that knew him at drmc in danville,va.
From time to time Anthony would send out an inspirational email to friends and/or family. Below is the last one Anthony sent to us a few days before he left this earth. It is and inspiration and food for thought for all of us:
Anthony's Email, sent Nov 21 2006
-----Original Message-----
From: achapa74@hotmail.com
To: cicichapa@yahoo.com; adrienne83@myway.com; cindyklange@yahoo.com; rexi777@aol.com; toveracker@hotmail.com; maelo_pr@hotmail.com
Sent: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 7:12 PM
Subject: Stronger tomorrow
You can hide things about yourself from just about anyone, but you can't really hide them from yourself. You know what you're up to, and that's important. Because the person you are to become tomorrow is always watching the person you are today.
How can you live this day so that your future self will find strength and inspiration? What can you do that will make the person you'll be tomorrow proud to have been the person you are today?
You know who you are right now, you know what you're doing, what your motivations are, what kind of attitude you maintain. You know and control the real you. Let the person you are today push you forward, positively into the future. Soon you'll look back on today, and what you see can either give you strength or bring you regret. Choose your actions so that what you do today will truly make you stronger tomorrow. _______________________________________
From Candice Stanfield CO-Worker/Friend/Debater
This is hard to believe. I was blessed to have worked with Anthony in Danville and his presence was big, funny, witty and very bold. The small amount of time we spent working together and the rest of the time was spent talking about our lives and his favorite past time: debating and discussing politics and religion . He was desperatly missing his son and VERY in love . He was interesting and someone who actually introduced this southern food eating woman to eating SOYBEANS. My prayers are with his son / adrienne / his MOM whom he talked about all the time we even check out her pastor's web site together/his sister/his brother and his nephew. May Godbless you all and I hope you have some comfort in knowning that he was beautifully human . GOD BLESS __________________________________________
email from Carol To: <regina777@myway.com> Subject: anthony - for website/blog, if you like.
Creator, Thank You for another day on Mother Earth and the gift of life. Thank You for Blessings seen and unseen. Thank You for all that has come, all that is now, and all that is to come.
Hello Regina,
Hope all is well with you and your family.
I know it has been some time since I have emailed you- so I'm catching up today -forgive my lengthy entry - yet my spirit felt I needed to write to you with thesewords.
Have been busy with Indigenous/Native American issues - our Tribe being the historical, state-recognized Indigenous Tribe of Los Angeles and many surrounding areas. Additionally, since my father died at the end of last year, and my cancer 'coming and going', I have had a 'full plate'.... and sometimes it seems with 'NO utensils.' Life can change at any moment - and sometimes you feel empty-handed .... even with much love, faith and prayers.
.... And then, out of nowhere you find your timing, and suddenly you have a 'whole set of utensils.'
~
I read your email, finally,and went to the website/blog for your son Anthony......looked at the whole thing.....and viewed all the photos. I had only met your son 1 time .... at your wedding to Ismael. I remembered back to that time.... images flashing in my head. I don't remember if it was during the toast or later on but, I remember Anthony saying good / positive things - he looked happy, and happy for you.
Then, I read the blog page. Up until reading the page, I had not known the circumstances involving Anthony's death. I understand much better now, and I tell you, you did the right thing bywriting and getting everything out of you. I felt it. Better it on a page than staying embedded in your heart - for you and your son's sake. Even though your heart might feel as if there is a weight inside filled with sadness, frustration,and loss, your son's Spirit will always be in your heart to lift, guide and love. My friend, I send prayers and love to you and your family. My heart grew full with wanting to do something for you.... yet, I did not know what, other than praying and emailing.
I noticed in the blog, someone said Anthony liked to "debate and discuss politics and religion." Then, I remembered a story you told me about Anthony, a few years back, when we used to work at the doctor's office in Santa Monica. You told me Anthony had at one time seen an image of Jesus or Mary, I can't remember which now, on a screen door. I very much related to that story, as things such as this I have seen too...........and I know reading about it, and seeing it are two different things.....(sometimes hard for people to understand, and/or understand thestoryteller. ) I said at the time of our conversation, that things such as this are meant as a message, and your son must be a spiritual person or at a spiritual point in his life. You answered, and began to tell me with bright eyes about Anthony.
As I read the blog entries, the first one was "STRONGER TOMORROW," the second, 'BE THANKFUL.' As I continued to read the entries, I came upon 'Fabian's email about his accident.' These entries, .... this is where Anthony's Spirit touched mySpirit.....and it could not have been at a better time.... TIMING, I TELL YOU - the Creator & Great Spirit in their Wisdom.
You see, just yesterday, I received the long awaited results of my Petscan - (CatScan/Bone Imaging , all in one test.) The results were not good. In fact, it was the worst report of my prognosis to date in 4 1/2 years since I have been on chemo, and since June 2003 - 5 years since being diagnosed with Inflammatory Breast Cancer. I will spare the details, yet just know, medically speaking only of course, I was not expected to live even 2 years since being diagnosed.
As you can imagine, I was not in the best frame of mind after hearing and seeing the results. Enough of this disease already! Did not want to tell anyone the results at this point - had a hard time digesting it myself. Did not want to have to repeat the unwanted results over and over again, to each person Iknew. I tell you - I have been the 'Poster Child for Positiveness' for many years now - and I was hoping to give up my 'Poster Child position' this year. But I just felt as though 'my well had just run dry' - mentally & physically. And to think, I'm usually called the 'Energizer Bunny.'.......................... .......................................and that's when my seemingly 'full plate' found a 'set of utensils' in Anthony's words. Through my heartache and frustration, I read the words of Anthony Chapa - a person I did not know .... only knew of -
Stronger tomorrow You can hide things about yourself from just about anyone, but you can’t really hide them from yourself. You know what you’re up to, and that’s important. Because the person you are to become tomorrow is always watching the person you are today. How can you live this day so that your future self will find strength and inspiration? What can you do that will make the person you’ll be tomorrow proud to have been the person you are today? You know who youare right now, you know what you’re doing, what your motivations are, what kind of attitude you maintain. You know and control the real you. Let the person you are today push you forward, positively into the future. Soon you’ll look back on today, and what you see can either give you strength or bring you regret. Choose your actions so that what you do today will truly make you stronger tomorrow. ~
.... as I said to you years ago Regina, your son is a spiritual person. He will continue to touch those who come to this website/blog more than anyone will ever know.
I pray for guidance and protection for you along your journey for the answers you seek. I pray these answers will come swift with comforting peace to soothe your heart and spirit.
MANY BLESSINGS OF PEACE, HOPE AND LOVE TO ALL WHO COME TO THIS WEBSITE/BLOG.
His legacy
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