Eleth Chappat

Eleth “Lee” Chappat, age 91, passed away on January 3, 2017 due to complications of cardiac arrest.  She was born in Ojai, CA July 2, 1925 to Arthur and Etta Franklin, the last of nine children.  Early years were spent in So. CA and she moved to the S.F. Bay Area in 1942 with her family in search of shipyard work at the start of WWII.  At 17, she lied about her age to get a welding job at Marinship in Sausalito.  She attended an 8 hour class, passed and was hired!  She also met her husband, Arnold Chappat, at Marinship.  As the war was winding down, the family bought a prune ranch on Old Sonoma Road here in Napa.  That venture was short lived and by 1946, they had divorced.  Eleth then went to work for American Can Co. as a steelworker and her tenure with them lasted 27 years.  She went on to become a bus operator for SamTrans of San Mateo County for another 15 years.  In her later years and with the popularity of Rosie-the-Riveter on the rise, Eleth, a Rosie herself enjoyed telling her story of working at Marinship.  She participated in the Sonoma County “Vets in Vets” ride in the Petaluma Vet’s Parade several years; so proud to be part of the Greatest Generation representing the 6 million women who worked on the Homefront!  Proceeded in death by her parents and her only grandchild, Kevin Fanucchi, as well as many sisters and brothers.  Her daughter, Barbara Fanucchi, resides in Napa; also a sister, June Rice, of Plumas County.  Many nieces, cousins and friends will long remember her fantastic stories. She will be sorely missed by all. Service to be held at Tulocay Cemetery, 411 Coombsville Rd., Napa on Sat., Jan. 7th at 2:00 pm. Memories may be shared with the family online at www.tulocaycemetery.org.

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