Francis Sweetland CHAPMAN

1927 - 2020

FRANCIS SWEETLAND CHAPMAN January 24, 1927 - September 5, 2020

"Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer."—E.M. Forster, Howard's End

Only connect. A man of great intellect and compassion, Francis placed relationships and a deep respect and kindness for others before all else throughout his 93 years. People invariably left his company feeling better for it, seen and accepted in his sky-blue eyes and gentle smile. He trod lightly in this world, caring for and preserving the best in it. He also had a wicked sense of humour.

Born and raised in Toronto, Francis grew up on the Rosedale ravine in a house designed and built by his architect father, Alfred Chapman. His mother, a pianist named Doris Dennison, filled the place with music and drama. All six children (Philippa, Howard, Robert, Sally and twin Christopher) performed at family concerts.

After graduating from the University of Toronto Schools, Francis attended the University of Toronto where he studied under Northrop Frye and formed lifelong friendships with filmmaker Ted Kotcheff and the poet Richard Outram.

In the late 1950s, a budding director and producer, Francis drove from England with anthropologist and cousin Colin Turnbull across the washboard roads of the Sahara to live with Mbuti in the Ituri Forest of Central Africa. His audio and visual records now reside in the archives at the Smithsonian Institute.

Back in Toronto, Francis worked at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and became friends with painter Mashel Teitelbaum. Mashel's wife, Ethel, knew immediately that Francis would be a kindred spirit-he helped Mashel steal lumber for his canvases. Francis also formed a close friendship with Fred Rogers while producing what would become the iconic children's television show, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Another CBC crony, Lawrie McVicar, became a lifelong canoe tripping partner. Together they mapped the old logging trails that would become the official portage routes for Killarney Provincial Park.

In 1966, Francis married Penny Grey, who he had met years earlier during summers on Lake Simcoe, in the garden of the Chapman family house. There they raised two children, Sasha and Andrew, and sheltered many friends and extended family over their 54 years of marriage. Francis was often the first person to call in a crisis. Francis had cared for his own father after a debilitating stroke, and together he and Penny looked after his mother in her final years.

Many of Francis' adventures and collaborations involved his beloved twin Christopher, a celebrated documentary filmmaker. Penny served as production manager. Christopher often relied heavily on his brother's prodigious ability to solve problems. Francis was especially proud of developing an algebraic formula for a 1980s 3-D film for Sudbury North. They flew north to the Arctic and sailed south on the maiden voyage of the Bluenose II in search of lost treasure off the coast of Costa Rica.

In later years, Francis preferred to be called a writer. He wrote nature and wildlife documentaries and imparted a deep appreciation of stories and the natural world to his children and grandchildren. He was also an editor and publisher. Richard Outram called Francis "the angel of Gauntlet Press": he underwrote Richard's printing press and was always the first to receive its new printings. He edited three volumes of Ted Kotcheff's poetry, and was a first reader on many other book projects.

One of the projects dearest to Francis' heart was taking care of Romany Wood, an old family property on Lake Simcoe near Sibbald Point. His nephew Henry Jahn and twin Christopher helped him with "Operation Lazarus," a multi-year project to rescue and restore one of the sinking cottages. There he and Penny first sailed together, and they saw Sasha married to Anton Helman. Francis also took Andrew up to Lake Simcoe on annual boys' weekends with his young friends. He watched his two granddaughters, Emma and Rowan, grow up at Romany Wood, where they played games on the thyme-scented lawns and swam and canoed across the sandbars. He also enjoyed elaborate meals with extended family and long sessions of reading stories and singing by the old fieldstone fireplace.

In 2017, one of the tracts of land on Lake Simcoe was sold. Francis fell the night the sale closed and spent the remainder of his life at the Reactivation Care Centre with advancing Parkinson's. (When staff asked him if he knew why he was in hospital he replied, "I had a fight with a piece of furniture and the furniture won.") He was the longest and most beloved resident of the RCC, doted on by an exceptionally caring nursing staff. The Chapmans would like especially to thank Alleth Anderson, Carol Dawkins and Fernando Martins, for their kindness, and his nephew Henry for visiting him daily. Though Francis was bedridden, he never lost his sharp wit and compassion and curiosity for others. He even helped Alleth write an article about spiritual care for the dying.

Following a private garden service, Francis will be interred at St. George's Anglican Church by Jackson's Point on Lake Simcoe. Please give generously to North York General Hospital's foundation in lieu of flowers.