Samuel Garrison Chapin, a well known conservationist and board chairman of the Wildlands Trust, died April 1 after a battle with cancer. He was 75.
Born Sept. 7, 1950, alongside a twin brother Ted, in New York City to Schuyler Chapin and Elizabeth Steinway Chapin, he grew up in Manhattan where he attended the Dalton School. He later headed west to the Colorado Rocky Mountain School, from which he graduated in 1968, then graduated from Windham College in Vermont.
He devoted many years to land conservation in Southeastern Massachusetts, most recently serving as Chairman of the Board of the Wildlands Trust. He helped secure the acquisition of the Davis-Douglas Farm as the Trust’s new headquarters, ensuring the land remained protected and available. He had a long career in environmental and solid waste management consulting and always made sure to point out landfills to his family wherever they traveled.
His family and friends remember him as a generous teacher and devoted historian, keeping detailed archives and becoming known as the unofficial historian of the Six Ponds area. He could often be found playing games like Wingspan and Ticket to Ride with family and friends in front of the fireplace. He also enjoyed boating, bird watching, and cutting firewood on his Long Pond property, his family’s permanent home since 2009.
He is survived by his wife of 44 years Caroline (Davis) Chapin; his daughters, Megan (Meg) and Anna; brothers Henry, Theodore (Ted), and Miles; many in-laws, nieces, and nephews, and numerous friends and extended family members.
A memorial service will be held later this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to the Wildlands Trust.