Wallace "John" Chapman

Wallace John Chapman, M.D. passed away quietly at his home on January 16, 2014 at the age of 86. John was born on May 2, 1927 in Los Angeles, CA to Wallace Maxwell Chapman, M.D. and Edith Marie Reekie. At age 17 he joined the Navy and served during WWII in the Pacific Theatre. After his honorable discharge in 1946, John enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley, earning a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Medical Sciences in 1954. He then enrolled in the UCLA School of Medicine, graduating in 1959. After moving to Alaska, he served as Commissioner of the Department of Health and Welfare for the state from 1967-1968 under Governor Hickel. During his time in Alaska he took up flying, was certified by the FAA as a class 1 senior aviation medical examiner, and operated a private medical practice. While in Alaska he met Nadine Woodworth whom he later married in 1976 in Berkeley, CA . John worked for Kaiser Permanente in Martinez, CA in the Emergency Department. The two later purchased and ran a farm and ranch in Ferdinand, ID while John split his time between farming and practicing medicine in CA, flying his Cessna 180 between the states. He later began working for the Urgent Care department of Group Health Permanente in Spokane, WA. John always spoke fondly of his co-workers in the medical profession as well as the farming industry. His sharp wit and gentle manner will be sorely missed. John is survived by his sister, Betty Massman, his stepmother Mary Louise Chapman, his three daughters Keely Chapman, Johnny Chapman and Madeline Chapman, his two sons, Ian Chapman and Evan Chapman and four grandchildren. His wife, Nadine Chapman, passed away in 2008. A simple memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at 11:00 am at St. Augustine Church in Spokane, WA.