Memorial services for James Harvey Chaplin, 75, of Livingston, Texas will be Saturday, October 8, 2022 at 3:00 p.m. in the Cochran Funeral Home Chapel in Livingston, Texas.

James Harvey Chaplin, or Jim, as most people called him, was born on August 17, 1947 to Houstine and Orby Chaplin in Baytown, Texas.  He grew up in Highlands, Texas in a house located at 903 San Jacinto Street and occupied by his parents, his brother, Noel Chaplin, (deceased), his sisters, Linda Chaplin Gore and Virginia Chaplin Christian, and his paternal grandfather, William Harvey Chaplin, (deceased) to whom Jim was very attached.  His maternal grandparents were J.C. and Erma Carr of Howe, Oklahoma.

Jim was always an outdoor boy, much preferring to run around the neighborhood barefoot and shirtless whenever it was warm enough.  He could usually be found up in a tree or fighting with one of the neighborhood boys.  He enjoyed his years of playing baseball in the Highlands Little League, where he proved himself to be a good athlete.  He went to Highlands Elementary School and Highlands Junior High School, but school was not his favorite place to be.  He would much rather have been hunting in the "marsh" of the San Jacinto River behind his home. He loved to fish and was quite good at both fishing and hunting, sports he enjoyed his entire life.  He had many stories of the deer lease and fishing trips to Lake Livingston, Trinity Bay, Galveston and Gunnison, Colorado.  His parents always made certain that he attended church every Sunday morning and Sunday night at the First Baptist Church of Highlands.  He was baptized into that church around the age of eight.

At an age of only twelve, he began working for the local feed store, working in exchange for feed for the calves he raised to show.  His next work experience was at a go cart track in Highlands.  He worked there for many years and proved himself to be a hard worker, a trait he maintained and admired in others for life.  After graduating from Robert E. Lee High School in Baytown, in 1965, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served in Korea.

On July 16, 1994, Jim married his wife Sandra (Mott) Chaplin.

Jim's working 33 years after his term in the Army was spent at Lubrizol, a chemical plant in the Deer Park area.  He held several different positions of responsibility and finally chose to retire at the age of fifty-five in the position of fire chief.  Before he retired, he and his wife, Sandy, bought some acreage in Livingston.  This was his dream come true.  He loved the farm, his cattle, growing and baling hay, and growing vegetables in his garden.  He shared with many that time spent on his farm were among the happiest times of his life.

James Harvey Chaplin is survived by his wife, Sandra Chaplin of Livingston, Texas; sons, James H. Chaplin, Jr. and Thomas J. Chaplin, both of Highlands, Texas; stepdaughter, Shari Lee Istre, also of Highlands; 6 grandchildren; sisters, Linda Gore of Colleyville, Texas and Virginia Christian of Granbury, Texas; along with numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Preceded in death by daughter, Angela D'Ann Chaplin Collins; son Jonation Chaplin; and brother, Noel Chaplin.