Richard "Rick" Chaffee

Rick Chaffee, of The Villages, FL and Plymouth, MN passed away suddenly, but peacefully, on July 9.  He is survived by his wife of 53 years, Sheila; children Eric (Nicole) Chaffee and Beth (Luke) Malloy; grandchildren Ethan, Anika, Joshua, and Addison; sister Kathleen Miller; and extended family.

Rick was extremely proud of his family and military service.  He served in the U.S. Army, Michigan National Guard, and New Jersey Army Reserve for almost two decades.  Rick loved spending time with his family and friends, especially when it involved Corvettes, racing, hunting, traveling, playing cards, bocce ball, and attending bible study.  He had the ability to become friends with everyone he met.

Rick loved spending time with his grandchildren.  He often attended their events, taught them skills such as fishing and driving, and loved texting with them.  He always had an encouraging word for them.

Rick was passionate about many things in life and lived life to the fullest.  He quietly did a lot of fundraising for charities close to his heart which involved veterans, children, and cancer research.

Rick was an avid Corvette and racing fan.  He loved driving, showing, talking about, and hot lapping his Corvettes.  When he wasn’t driving his Corvette, he attended as many races as possible, met the racing teams, or read about racing.

After retiring, Rick was happy to leave Minnesota winters behind for Florida.  You would often find he and Sheila riding around in the golf cart, sitting on the lanai, and spending time with friends.  Rick never stopped saying that he was living a life he never dreamed possible.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that Rick’s generosity live on through memorials made in his honor to the Wounded Warriors Project, St. Joseph’s Children’s Home, or a charity close to your heart.

A public visitation will be held on Thursday, July 16th from 5:00 to 8:00 PM at Gearty-Delmore Chapel of Plymouth, 15800 37th Ave. N. Because of current limitations on large gatherings you must sign up to attend and you will be required to wear a face covering. Click here to sign up. Please be respectful of your time to allow the following group to enter on time.  Thank You.

There will be a private family service on Friday, July 17th at 2:00 PM.  The service will be livestreamed on the funeral home website.  Please click the link above to view.

Rick will be buried at Fort Snelling National Cemetery with military honors.