Rev. D. Morris Chalfant

At 10:30 p.m. on May 10, 2010, Jesus came and took Morris home to heaven. This transition from earth to heaven culminated 66 years of sharing God's word around the world. Rev. D. Morris Chalfant, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, mentor, and friend preached again and again about the realities of heaven. "Heaven is a real place for real people," he said often. Now, Rev. Chalfant is experiencing heaven's reality for himself. The second son of Everette O. and Eliza B. Watts Chalfant, he was born on March 16, 1921, in Indianapolis, Ind. He grew up in Olivet, Ill., with his brother, Fred, and sister, Betty Jean (Bonney), where their father served the Church of the Nazarene. A consummate athlete, Rev. Chalfant excelled in basketball, tennis, softball, and track and field and set many longstanding records in these sports in high school and college. He began his undergraduate work at Olivet Nazarene College (now Olivet Nazarene University) transferred to Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, Okla.), and graduated from Northwestern Nazarene College (now Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa, Idaho). Rev. Chalfant attended graduate school at Eureka College (Eureka, Ill.). He was an ordained minister and a licensed evangelist with the Church of the Nazarene. In August 1943, he married Margaret Attebury, and they had four children: William E. (Van Nuys, Calif.), David M. (Chicago), Nancy J. (Indianapolis), and Theodore "Ted" (Nashville, Tenn.). They had four grandchildren: Rodney, Mark, Michelle, and Jeremy. In 1946, Rev. Chalfant and his family were assigned as missionaries to Swaziland, South Africa. They were transferred to Johannesburg, where he served until 1953. After the death of his first wife, Rev. Chalfant married Yvonne Vollman of Evansville, Ind., in 1968. They have one son, Erik D., who resides in San Francisco, Calif. Throughout his ministry, he mentored many young ministers. To Rev. Rick Hosterman (New Jersey), Rev. Ray Grilliot (Ohio), and Rev. Billy Huddleston (Ohio), he continued to be "Pastor Chalfant." He also enjoyed sharing his faith with special family friend Antony deAngelo (Chicago). Following his retirement from pastoral ministry in 1989, Rev. Chalfant served as associate pastor of College Church of the Nazarene (Bourbonnais) and was active in the Retired Ministers Fellowship. He served as a chaplain at Provena Heritage Village from 1997-2009. Rev. Chalfant is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, and his first wife. He is survived by his wife, Yvonne; five children; sister Betty Jean (Rev. Harry) Bonney; sisters-in-law Martha Chalfant and Lillian Vollman; brother and sisters-in-law Paul Vollman (Nancy) and Clifford Vollman (Carolyn); grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be at Clancy-Gernon-Hertz Funeral Home in Kankakee (1480 W. Court Street) on Sunday, May 16, from 2-7 p.m., and at College Church of the Nazarene in Bourbonnais (200 University Avenue) on Monday, May 17, from 10-11 a.m. Services will be celebrated at 11 a.m. at College Church of the Nazarene. Rev. Kendal Franklin, Rev. Deborah Bell, Dr. Brian Wilson, and Dr. John C. Bowling will officiate. Burial will be in Kankakee Memorial Gardens in Aroma Park. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to the Chalfant Family Scholarship at Olivet Nazarene University or to Provena St. Mary's Foundation for the Palliative Care Unit (5E).

Rev. D. Morris Chalfant

March 16, 1921 - May 10, 2010