John Greeley Chapman, 96, passed away at his home in Hampden Maine, with his beloved wife Betsy Chapman and daughter Alexa at his side. John lived at the end of Canoe Club Rd. in a home that he designed and built, overlooking the Penobscot River. He bought the original property in 1959, reconstructed the original Kenduskeag Canoe Club, and then built his current home in 1985. He loved the Penobscot River and spent hours enjoying the ever-changing view from his deck and pier.
John was a life-long resident of the Bangor area, growing up in the family business, The Bangor House. As a child he delighted in exploring the attics, basements, and storage rooms of the Bangor House with his younger sister Barbara, who pre-deceased him in 2016. He returned to Bangor shortly after his discharge from the US Navy after the Korean War, at the request of his father, Horace Weston Chapman, to take over the management of the business, which he did until its sale in 1969.
John attended grade and high school (class of 1944) in Bangor public schools and excelled at sports including football, the winter sports club, and other activities including chorus, the dramatic club, and the school paper. He cherished his high school years, and later in life founded the Class of 1944 Luncheon Club, of which he was one of the final 4 surviving members. Immediately after Bangor High School, he enrolled in the Navy V-5 pilot training program which included training at Bates College and UNC Chapel Hill, until his honorable discharge in June of 1947.
After the War, he immediately joined the Maine National Guard and served while attending the University of Maine at Orono, where he was a member of ATO fraternity, the football team, and from which he graduated in 1949 with a degree in civil engineering. John built many lifelong friendships at UMO, including fraternity brothers Earl Vickery and Robert Chase. In 1952, he was honorably discharged from the Maine National Guard as a Sergeant Combat Engineer and spent a winter skiing at Aspen. He was called up in the mobilization for the Korean War and remained in the Naval Reserve until his honorable discharge in 1966.
John had a lifelong love of the Maine outdoors in general, and hunting and skiing in particular. He was President of the Penobscot Valley Ski Club in the 1950’s, and the Sugarloaf Ski Club. He took great pride in doing the engineering work to lay out and build the original road up to the base lodge at Sugarloaf, which remains in use today. Later in life he skied and hunted all over the world with his family and friends.
He was active in local civic and business organizations including participating in the Rotary Club of Bangor, where he began attending meetings and singing the Rotary song as a child at the Bangor House in the 1930’s. He served as President of the Maine Hotel and Motel Association in 1968-69, and was a founding member of Penobscot Associates, a local Bangor investment club that remains vibrant today. After selling the Bangor House in 1969, he worked as an investment advisor, finishing his career at PaineWebber, where he met his wife, Betsy.
John is survived by his wife Betsy, five children including John W. Chapman of Portland, Maine; M. Weston Chapman of Nashville, TN; Susan (Chapman) Gilroy of Solana Beach, CA; David K. Chapman of Gardnerville, Nevada; and Alexandra Chapman of Hampden, ME. He had two stepchildren, Carolyn (Adams) Johnson of Boulder, CO and Randall Adams of Middleburg, VA. He and Betsy had an “unofficially” adopted daughter Rimma Nehme of Bellevue, WA, who joined them in her junior year of high school (1997) as an exchange student from Belarus. John is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 4 step grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.
There will be a memorial service for John on November 8th at 3:00 PM at Brooking-Smith 133 Center St., Bangor, ME. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith, 163 Center St., Bangor following the service.
He leaves behind loving family and friends, and fond memories – John singing at the top of his lungs (slightly off-key) on the chairlift at Sugarloaf on a beautiful spring day. It is how we will remember him best. “I will lift mine eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my Help” Psalm 121
Please make donations to the Hampden Historical Society, 83 Main Rd. South, Hampden, ME 04444.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John Chapman, please visit our flower store.
John was a life-long resident of the Bangor area, growing up in the family business, The Bangor House. As a child he delighted in exploring the attics, basements, and storage rooms of the Bangor House with his younger sister Barbara, who pre-deceased him in 2016. He returned to Bangor shortly after his discharge from the US Navy after the Korean War, at the request of his father, Horace Weston Chapman, to take over the management of the business, which he did until its sale in 1969.
John attended grade and high school (class of 1944) in Bangor public schools and excelled at sports including football, the winter sports club, and other activities including chorus, the dramatic club, and the school paper. He cherished his high school years, and later in life founded the Class of 1944 Luncheon Club, of which he was one of the final 4 surviving members. Immediately after Bangor High School, he enrolled in the Navy V-5 pilot training program which included training at Bates College and UNC Chapel Hill, until his honorable discharge in June of 1947.
After the War, he immediately joined the Maine National Guard and served while attending the University of Maine at Orono, where he was a member of ATO fraternity, the football team, and from which he graduated in 1949 with a degree in civil engineering. John built many lifelong friendships at UMO, including fraternity brothers Earl Vickery and Robert Chase. In 1952, he was honorably discharged from the Maine National Guard as a Sergeant Combat Engineer and spent a winter skiing at Aspen. He was called up in the mobilization for the Korean War and remained in the Naval Reserve until his honorable discharge in 1966.
John had a lifelong love of the Maine outdoors in general, and hunting and skiing in particular. He was President of the Penobscot Valley Ski Club in the 1950’s, and the Sugarloaf Ski Club. He took great pride in doing the engineering work to lay out and build the original road up to the base lodge at Sugarloaf, which remains in use today. Later in life he skied and hunted all over the world with his family and friends.
He was active in local civic and business organizations including participating in the Rotary Club of Bangor, where he began attending meetings and singing the Rotary song as a child at the Bangor House in the 1930’s. He served as President of the Maine Hotel and Motel Association in 1968-69, and was a founding member of Penobscot Associates, a local Bangor investment club that remains vibrant today. After selling the Bangor House in 1969, he worked as an investment advisor, finishing his career at PaineWebber, where he met his wife, Betsy.
John is survived by his wife Betsy, five children including John W. Chapman of Portland, Maine; M. Weston Chapman of Nashville, TN; Susan (Chapman) Gilroy of Solana Beach, CA; David K. Chapman of Gardnerville, Nevada; and Alexandra Chapman of Hampden, ME. He had two stepchildren, Carolyn (Adams) Johnson of Boulder, CO and Randall Adams of Middleburg, VA. He and Betsy had an “unofficially” adopted daughter Rimma Nehme of Bellevue, WA, who joined them in her junior year of high school (1997) as an exchange student from Belarus. John is also survived by 10 grandchildren, 4 step grandchildren, and 2 great grandchildren.
There will be a memorial service for John on November 8th at 3:00 PM at Brooking-Smith 133 Center St., Bangor, ME. The family invites relatives and friends to share conversation and refreshments at the Family Reception Center of Brookings-Smith, 163 Center St., Bangor following the service.
He leaves behind loving family and friends, and fond memories – John singing at the top of his lungs (slightly off-key) on the chairlift at Sugarloaf on a beautiful spring day. It is how we will remember him best. “I will lift mine eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my Help” Psalm 121
Please make donations to the Hampden Historical Society, 83 Main Rd. South, Hampden, ME 04444.
Condolences to the family may be expressed at BrookingsSmith.com.
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