Obituary of Robert Stewart Chapman

CHAPMAN: Having lived a productive, fulfilling life, Robert Stewart (Bob) Chapman died peacefully at the Assiniboine Centre, Brandon, Manitoba on Saturday, September 24, 2016 at the age of 87. He was predeceased by his parents: Ernest Edward (Teddy) and Edna Mary (née Stewart); his wife, Shirley (née Moulton) and his nephew Ted Bridgett. He is survived by his children and their families: John Chapman (wife Kareen, daughters Mikayla and Shayna); Rob Chapman (wife Alida, children Amanda, Marissa and Kevin); Susan Linto (husband Terry, sons Ross and Ryan); by his sister Frances Bridgett and brother Norman Chapman; nieces Chris, Margot and Kate Bridgett; and by his beloved Bridgett Overby. Bob was born March 10, 1929 in Brandon, Manitoba, the third generation of a family of agricultural innovators who pioneered Belfield Farm, close to Brandon, in 1881. He farmed all his life. From his boyhood through the Great Depression to his years studying agriculture at the University of Manitoba to farming with his father, on his own, and finally with Susan and Terry; from horses and hired hands to bigger and more complex trucks and tractors, from mixed farming to specialized crops; his work was his life. Planting and harvesting, husbanding animals from birth to death, completing all the daily chores, keeping the machinery working, the farm accounts current and his agricultural knowledge up-to-date, playing a part in his rural community and hardly ever missing a Sunday in church, he felt that his life on the farm had been a privilege. As well as the land and the community, he loved kids, relating first with his sister's children, then his own children, and in the last two decades, his grandchildren. Bob valued honesty and integrity, co-operation, good stewardship, hospitality, thrift, and his Christian faith, and he exemplified those qualities. He was kind, gentle, brave, patient, hard-working, considerate, and steady. In his final days, he declared that he had been blessed. He was certainly loved. Thanks go to all staff, friends and family, who cared for him and visited him in hospital. Bob really enjoyed his friends and family in Brandon and area community and wishes all the best for everyone. In his deep, halting voice, Bob spoke only when he had something worthwhile to contribute; he chose words carefully. He was a faithful hospital visitor, a Soup Kitchen volunteer, a reader in church. His hobby was tree-planting. In his last years, when he could not bend over or kneel, he achieved his vision by lying on his side to plant and tend to the century-old shelter belts. Bob's Memorial Service will be held at St. Matthew's Cathedral, 403 - 13th Street on Wednesday, September 28 at 1 p.m. with the Ven. Paul Curtis officiating. A private family interment will follow in the Brandon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, his family would appreciate your support of what was important to Bob: Helping Hands Centre, 111-7th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 3S5; or Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, 150 McTavish Avenue East, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 2B3 or St. Matthew's Cathedral, 403 -13th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 4P9. Rest peacefully Bob. The harvest is over. "All is safely gathered in, ere the winter storms begin."