Robert Chapman

Robert W. Chapman

Resident of San Jose

A well-known garden writer, died November 7, 2010 in his home after a long battle with cancer. He was 83.

Mr. Chapman began his career in the gardening business as a maintenance gardener. He studied ornamental horticulture at California Polytechnic State College at San Luis Obispo and owned a nursery and landscape construction business in Paso Robles.

He was an active volunteer with the Boy Scouts, and he eventually decided to pursue a career in Scouting. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at San Jose State College, he worked for the Santa Clara County Council of the Boy Scouts of America from 1959 to 1975. He was instrumental in establishing many troops throughout the county and rose to the position of Assistant Scout Executive for the Council.

His love of gardening never went away, and he eventually left the Boy Scouts to resume his horticultural career as a licensed landscape contractor, designing, installing and maintaining residential and commercial landscape projects in the Santa Clara Valley.

An avid camper and backpacker, Mr. Chapman taught many adult education courses in backpacking. Many of his students became his friends and accompanied him on trips throughout California.

Because he was well-known in the Valley as a team-leader and consensus-builder, as well as a lover of nature, he was asked to serve as environmental committee chairman on the San Jose Horizon 2000 Task Force. This task force met from 1982 to 1984 and wrote the city's general plan, which directed the growth of San Jose for many years.

After he retired from professional gardening, Mr. Chapman turned to writing, becoming a free-lance garden writer. He wrote the "Garden Mailbag" column in the San Jose Mercury-News from 1990 to 2006. A feature article he wrote on troubleshooting problems in citrus trees won the 1991 Quill and Trowel award from the Garden Writers Association of America.

Mr. Chapman was a regular contributor to the Orchard Supply Hardware website, writing articles and answering "Ask Orchard" gardening questions for 14 years.

In addition to his other activities, Mr. Chapman volunteered at Kaiser Santa Teresa Hospital two days a week for 6 years. He was known throughout the hospital for his warmth, sense of humor, and blonde jokes.

He was an active member of the South Bay Woodworkers Association and was never happier than when working in his wood shop. Over a number of years, he donated more than 10,000 hand-made wooden toys to charities, especially those helping homeless families.

He will be greatly missed by the many people who knew him.

Mr. Chapman leaves his wife of 52 years, Carol; his children Valerie, David, Ronald and Deborah; grandchildren Jessica and Michael; and sisters Nelda, Noreen, Ardis, and Verla.

A gathering of friends and family will be held on Saturday, November 13 at 1 P.M. at the parish hall of Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, 1281 Redmond Ave., San Jose. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that friends make contributions to The Nature Conservancy or the charity of their choice.