Constance "Connie" (Nee Eckert) Chapla

Constance (Eckert) Chapla

Constance "Connie" Chapla, of Escondido, CA, formerly Hillside, NJ and Mountainside, NJ, went to heaven to join her beloved husband, Walter, on July 1, 2019. She died peacefully after a long battle with lung diseases, at the Atria Assisted Living Facility in San Diego, CA.

Connie was born on July 15, 1937, in the Bronx, NY, the 9th child of John and Catherine Eckert. She married Walter Chapla on October 13, 1957, in St. Roche's Church, in the Bronx. Together, they raised two daughters, Ann (Thomas) McGrath, of Syracuse, NY, and Helen (Peter) Rentoulis, of Mountainside, NJ. She was blessed with six grandchildren (Thomas, William, Meaghan and Ryan McGrath and John and Christopher Rentoulis) and two great-granddaughters, Kaylee Rentoulis and Saylor McGrath. Connie was lucky to find a second family in California, Wayne and Donna Padover and their children, who cared for her in the later years. She was predeceased by all 11 of her siblings, her parents, and her husband, Walter.

Connie taught us to love playing cards (Crazy 8's were a favorite), including poker, even though she wasn't very good at it. She loved cats and dogs and candy (she always had a tootsie roll or peppermint, or both, in her purse). You only had to say "John Wayne" and she'd be happy to watch whichever movie was playing on TV. If you offered to take her to a casino, you would be her new best friend.

Funeral arrangements are being made through Gray Funeral Home, Westfield, NJ. Graveside services will be held next Saturday, July 27, 2019 at 11:00 AM, at Fairview Cemetery, Westfield, NJ. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to a local animal shelter in memory of Connie. She would have liked that. Please go to: www.grayfuneralhomes.com to offer condolences.