Richard H. Chapman

Richard Hughes ‘Rick’ Chapman, 74, of Norman, OK, passed away peacefully after a long illness, on Sunday, April 7, 2024. Rick was born in Commerce, TX, to William Venner and Lura Hughes Venner in 1949. He grew up in Irving, Farmers Branch, and Carrollton, TX. As he liked to say, he was a fifth generation Texan who was captured by a beautiful Oklahoma smile. That smile belonged to his wife, Carye Hayden ‘Cookie’ Chapman, to whom he was married for 55 years. He was a star player on the R.L. Turner Lions high school basketball team who helped lead his team to several city and state championships. He then went to the University of Oklahoma. He excelled at all sports and was most recently an avid golfer who loved to walk the course. In the early 70;s and 80’s, he created, played and produced music in Austin and Dallas, Texas. His passion for and creation of music continued for the rest of his life. He moved back to Oklahoma with his family in 1986, where he became involved in the oil and gas industry as a mineral manager for his family’s company, ENRG I, Inc. He advocated for mineral and royalty owners in the industry as the President and CEO of both the National Association of Royalty Owners and the American Royalty Council, as well as serving as a past Director of the Oklahoma Commission on Marginally Producing Oil and Gas Wells.

He was preceded in death by his infant sister, Nell Renee Venner, and his parents. Rick is survived by his wife, Hayden, of the home; his cherished daughter Carye Chapman and her husband David Murphy, of Norman, OK; his brother Gregory Chapman and his wife Dallas and their two daughters, Meredith Chapman and Messina Chapman; his stepbrother, Nick Stone and his daughters, Robyn Rogers and her family, and Nicole Hunzicker and her family; his brothers-in-law, H.J. Cole and his family, and David H. Cole and his family; and several nieces and nephews. 

Memorials may be made in memory of Richard H. Chapman to the charity of choice.