David Chatfield

1945 - 2021

David Chatfield
November 5, 1945 - December 4, 2021
David Chatfield was a lifelong activist with a deep commitment to the earth and to social justice in its many forms. His working life was one of dedicated and purposeful action for peace, for clean air and water and for better chances in life and empowerment for the many. As a husband, uncle, godfather and friend he was joyful – he officiated at dozens of weddings, loved and entertained kids and built friendships with people around the globe all his life. He was married to Jo Ann Madigan for more than 40 years. He passed away on December 4, 2021, after a year-long struggle with pulmonary fibrosis.

David was born on November 5, 1945, in the San Joaquin Valley, California. While in high school, he spent four years living in England with his family, which fostered a lifelong interest in global issues. He graduated from Occidental College with a BA in International Relations.

David's life of environmental and social justice action spanned movements from the 1970s to today. In the 70s he was a Conscientious Objector to the Vietnam war, a field organizer at the American Friends Service Committee and worked with the United Farm Workers. He was International Director of Friends of the Earth (FOE) from 1977 to 1985. He worked for Greenpeace for ten years, primarily as the Pacific Southwest Regional Director and on international pesticide and climate issues. Upon leaving Greenpeace David was California Director of Clean Water Action for two years and from 1997 to his retirement in 2011 he was Executive Director of Californians for Pesticide Reform.

All his life David used his gift for connection to bring people and organizations together globally. At FOE he built links among the national organizations – working in Scotland, France, and Japan. He was an early contributor to the network that became the Environment Liaison Centre International in Nairobi, and which today is over 3,000 organizations working on environmental issues in the Global South. David was a founding board member of Pesticide Action Network (PAN). Before Bhopal and in its aftermath his work linked farmworkers and frontline communities to fight for health and safety and eventual bans on the import and use of pesticides around the world.

Years later, speaking about his work with PAN, David said; "everyone had a voice that was of equal importance, especially the folks who were not typically leaders of already-established international organizations. That has been part of my thinking about how networks should function ever since."

At Greenpeace, David led and joined in dozens of nonviolent direct actions. He joined blockades of the nuclear navy in San Francisco Bay and successfully opposed coastal oil drilling in California, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. For the Earth Day demonstrations in 1990 he and a colleague spent days inside a metal box on a railroad track blocking Dupont from shipping ozone-destroying CFCs. He continued his international work at Greenpeace, negotiating agreements among the national and international offices with his characteristic fairness, warmth and good humor.

David's leadership at Californians for Pesticide Reform shaped the organization into a model of cooperation, transparency and collective movement work in California and the United States. He leaves a legacy of the most comprehensive school and day care pesticide-free buffer zone regulation in the nation. As he did throughout his career, he possessed a deep commitment to ensuring that leadership came from those most directly affected by pesticides in California.

David brought wisdom, kindness and expertise as a board member to many organizations. He was a long-time board chair of the national Greenpeace Fund, chair of Global Community Monitor and chair at Earthshare. He served as a Board member at California Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Global Greengrants Fund, Greenaction and Center for Environmental Health. He served on advisory committees for the Political Ecology Group and the League of Conservation Voters in California. At the time of his passing David was retired but still active on the Board of Directors of Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility and the Pesticide Action Network (again!)

Many activists credit David with giving them their first chance, as he saw their potential and supported them in finding their own voices and strength as leaders. He always had the time to listen and support colleagues by offering helpful insights, strategic and creative approaches or a gentle nudge to re-think a problem. He was a connector – introducing people to each other, sharing ideas and common passions.

Though he worked on serious environmental and social justice issues, David celebrated life with an easy laugh and a quick smile. He followed baseball, collected beer bottle caps and loved any excuse to grab a pint with friends and colleagues often while wearing a Hawaiian print shirt. He had a love of the wild and wanted to share it - he served as an instructor at Outward Bound in Colorado and England's Lakes District and never stopped organizing hikes. He loved mountains, particularly the Sierra Nevada and climbed many of its high peaks and once hiked Sentinel Dome with a cast and crutches. In his retirement years, David traveled and explored extensively with Jo Ann to national parks, microbreweries, family events and new places. He shared his experiences in his famous blogs/bletters replete with his observations, musings and photographs.

David's love for people and his joy in places, art, food, history, scenery, beer, wildlife, music, and everything else was a rushing river, and an invitation to step into the current. He wanted to meet for breakfast, he was thrilled to hang with your kids, he detoured to see the thing done by that architect or artist or activist, what about the history of that place, and remember the quote from that book, how about some walking, talking and pubbing, meeting a new friend, and did you see that hawk?

David is survived by his wife, Jo Ann Madigan of Portland, Oregon, with whom he shared a deep love, a partnership and enjoyment of life. His blood and chosen family survivors include his brother Bruce Chatfield of San Francisco, 18 nieces and nephews, 12 great nieces and nephews, two "fairy godchildren" and numerous deeply loved friends. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Mark and Carl.

An online memorial and celebration of David's remarkable life will be held on January 29th at 1:00 pm Pacific time. The link to the event will be posted on Jo Ann's Caring Bridge site.

Donations in David's memory can be made to Pesticide Action Network, Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility, Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, Greenpeace or to the charity of your choice.