A Tribute to Sam Chapin
Sam Chapin stands in front of the retired water tower at Davis-Douglas Farm in Plymouth. Photo by Andrew Lederman.
Nearly 250 people from around the country came to Davis Douglas Farm on June 20th to pay tribute to our esteemed board chair Sam Chapin, who died unexpectedly after a short battle with cancer. Below is Karen Grey’s eulogy to Sam.
On behalf of Caroline, Anna, Meg, and Wildlands Trust, I’d like to welcome you to Davis-Douglas Farm. It feels so appropriate that we are all gathered here at this beautiful property to honor, celebrate, and remember Sam, because this is the house that he built.
Back in 2009, not quite a year into my job at Wildlands Trust, I got a call from a man who introduced himself as Sam Chapin. I recognized the name but couldn’t place it. “Do you know what is happening at the old Bongiovanni place?” he asked. “There are a lot of people down here who are very concerned about a developer buying it.”
Ah, yes, now I remember. I had seen Sam Chapin’s name in old board minutes. He was a former board member.
The Bongiovanni place? I had never heard of it and when Sam described the location, it didn’t help. He said it was a small scenic farm in Plymouth that was important to the area. It had been owned by the same family for nearly 70 years, and the fear was that the next generation who recently inherited the property might be looking to sell. Sam asked me to keep my ear to the ground and let him know if I learned anything. The conversation was polite, efficient, and purposeful, just like the Sam I would come to know.
Time went by and about 6 months later another strange man called me, also with a familiar name. He introduced himself as David Bongiovanni. David wanted my advice on several parcels of open land he and his brothers had inherited from their parents. He asked if I would meet him and look at the properties and advise them on their options.
As I drove into the farm on a gorgeous September day to meet David, I realized, this is the property Sam Chapin had called me about. As I got out of my car and walked toward David, he read the look in my eyes and said “Just so you know, this is not one of the properties I want to talk with you about. We need to do some real soul searching on this one.” He explained that the farm had been gifted to their grandfather in 1943, and then passed to his mother, and recently to David and his two brothers, Rob and John.
Sam and the “Bongiovanni Boys” at Davis-Douglas Farm in 2023. From the left: David Bongiovanni, Sam Chapin, John Bongiovanni, Rob Bongiovanni. Photo by Andrew Lederman.
When I returned to my office in Duxbury later that afternoon, I could not get this beautiful property out of my head. The next morning, I decided to call Sam Chapin and within hours Sam was sitting across from me helping to strategize how the “Old Bongiovanni Place” could become the new home of Wildlands Trust. It was then that I learned it was Sam’s great grandfather’s family that had gifted the property to Percy Douglas, the grandfather of the Bongiovanni Boys, as Sam called them. My head was spinning as Sam explained the web of extended families and relationships. Today, I understand that these families and their histories define the soul of this neighborhood. Back then, they were names on Sam’s hit list for fundraising.
Sometimes things are just meant to be, and all you need is a person with a vision, passion, and a willingness to ask others for money. That was Sam, and that is why we sit here today. First, he helped me to convince the Bongiovanni Boys and the Wildlands Board that this was a worthy undertaking. Once we had a willing seller and a willing buyer, Sam, along with his partner in crime, Charlotte Russell, led the fundraising for the project — as many of you can attest to. The pair had an enviable record — no one turned them down, and often they came away with larger gifts than they had asked for. Once the money was raised, Sam put his talents to work on the building project. He chaired the Building Committee, which worked for 3 long years with the planners, the architects, and the general contractor, Les Plimpton, to design the campus, build the road, restore the farmhouse, and construct the new barn. In 2014, Wildlands Trust moved into our new home, appropriately named Davis-Douglas Farm, and Sam rejoined the board of Wildlands Trust. In 2019, he became the Chairman of our board.
Non-profits thrive or wilt based on the relationship between the board chair and the CEO. Sometimes those relationships are power imbalances, cantankerous, or dysfunctional, and the organization suffers. And sometimes two leaders with different, but complimentary skills and mutual respect, mesh and the organization flourishes. If you asked me to name two professional accomplishments that have left me completely fulfilled, I would say Davis-Douglas Farm and running Wildlands Trust. Sam Chapin was my partner in both of these endeavors.
I was so relieved when Caroline reached out and said she wanted to have Sam’s memorial at Davis-Douglas Farm because here on this gorgeous property a wonderful man, in his own modest and unassuming way, was able to do something remarkable in bringing together the things he valued in life most: his family, his community, and the natural world. We sit here today because of Sam Chapin.
I was out in Sedona, Arizona, on vacation when I heard from Caroline that Sam was failing fast. I still had things to say to Sam, so I sat down and wrote him this letter and asked his family to share it with him:
Dear Sam—
As I think about you and all you have done for Wildlands Trust, I want you to know what your leadership has meant to us. I thank you especially for:
Being an amazing ambassador for our mission and never ever giving up on Wildlands.
Having the vision and the wherewithal to lead the Davis-Douglas Farm project. Without you, our organization would still be operating out of a goat shed in Duxbury. Your leadership on the Building Committee and the Fundraising Committee set the project up for success. I hope you are very proud of this important part of your legacy.
Always championing the Wildlands staff. You consistently provided a positive outlook and took the time to tell me kind and positive things about the people who work here.
Leading the board with integrity, diplomacy, and a velvet hammer— especially when certain folks needed to be tamped down.
Always finding the misplaced comma in the draft board minutes.
Showing up in my office whenever I needed you, even if for just a venting session.
Learning to love Ted (my dog) when you came to the office, even though I know you are not crazy about dogs and he barks at you.
Serving as our esteemed historian and tour leader for Davis-Douglas Farm.
Your willingness to always take on more when I didn’t have the time.
Being the best boss an Aries woman could ever ask for— you trusted me and let me do my thing.
I am forever grateful, Sam.
- Karen