Mr. Dencil Chapman

September 17, 1937 - February 6, 2021

Dencil Chapman, 83, originally from Chapmanville, WV and long-time resident of Cocoa, FL, passed away on February 6, 2021. He is survived by his wife Anne, daughter Ryane Postell (Corey), son Darrell Chapman, grandchildren Romeo and Ayanna Postell, his brothers Jack (Helen), Donnie (Terri), mother in-law Toni, brother’s in-law Speedy (Charlene) and Ty Catechis, sister in-law Christina Buckner (Brad), and many nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents, James and Anna, brothers James and Bobby Chapman, son Dencil Lee Chapman, and two nephews. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you consider donating to Keep Brevard Beautiful in memory of Dencil or to a charity of your own choosing. There will be a Celebration of Life at Fay Lake Wilderness Park on March 20th at 1PM. Dencil moved to Cocoa, Florida in the late 1950’s. He was the owner of Dencil’s Used Cars in Cocoa. He spent his entire life in the car business. He was always proud of the fact that he had one of the older businesses in Cocoa. Dencil raced cars in the 1960’s Florida Late Model series under the #00. He has always been well respected in the racing community as a driver/owner. He also loved and collected antique cars. He was an avid car show participant and member of the Dixie Cruisers Car Club. Some of the more notable cars in his collection are the 1924 Packard and 1928 Cadillac. Dencil loved to go boating and fishing. He spent a lot of his downtime fishing in the St. Johns River. He also loved racing airboats on the weekends and talking about the races with his buddies during breakfast at Kay’s the following week. He earned the title “King of the River” many times. His airboat, Hillbilly Degree, was a force to be reckoned with. Dencil was loved and respected by many people in not only Cocoa, but the car industry throughout the state. He was a man of his word and friend to all. He was an amazing father and grandfather. He was always humble and had a witty sense of humor. He truly is a man amongst men, a legend in the community.