Glen Leland Chapman

On July 17th, 2025, four days shy of his 94th birthday, dad left on his final fishing trip. Glen L. Chapman was born in Bellingham, WA on July 21st, 1931, becoming the third of five children of Raymond and Billie Pearl (Ragan) Chapman.

Dad graduated from BHS in 1949 and served five years in the National Guard reserve forces. In 1950, Glen married the love of his life, Anita DeGraaf, and started an amazing 75-year adventure together that found them raising their family in Ferndale, WA, followed by 20 years in Lynnwood, WA, before returning, in retirement, to their home at Neptune Beach.

During his career, Glen was in electronics sales, which took him all over the Pacific NW. He was also well known as an excellent gun smith and developed quite a clientele, as well as many long-lasting friendships.

Glen was a lifelong hunter, venturing into Eastern Washington each fall to hunt for deer or elk. In the early years, the family could be found camping in a tent, which gave way to a trailer and finally a camper. There are decades of hunting stories that have been and will be told around the campfire with family and friends.

Glen and Anita belonged to the American Legion, Eagles, Elks and Road Jammers. In their 40s they began riding motorcycles on a big ole Harley, with their son Ray, his wife Jan and his brother Russ and his wife Della. There were many rides, some over several states. Later in life these trips started being taken in a bright yellow Miata.

In 1993, one of these trips was up to a remote fishing resort in B.C. to see Jack and June Vance, and from that visit, a new passion, fishing, began. For decades, Glen and Anita left for Canada after the 4th of July, and would return home in late August before the family picnic. They made Telegraph Cove their summer home to fish for coho and chinook. What started as a simple camping trip turned into summer long sagas on the Johnstone Strait for nearly 30 years of fishing from their boat “Gunpowder,” and where they made a lifetime of memories and multitude of friends. In 2007, grandson Steve and future wife Oralie went up to see this place the folks loved so much. They in turn convinced Ray and Jan to go visit and the rest is history. Yearly fishing trips including children and grandchildren continue to this day.

Glen was preceded in death by his parents, Ray and Billie Pearl (Ragan) Chapman, siblings Mel Chapman, Aldene Koch and Nadene Simonsen, son John Chapman and son-in-law Tim Straight.

Glen is survived by his wife of 75 years Anita, brother Russ Chapman, daughter Chris Flammang, Son Ray (Jan) Chapman, daughter Susan Straight, daughter-in-law Kathy Chapman, grandchildren Kerri (Josh) Wilson, Julie Evans, Chrissy (Rogan) McIntyre, Steve (Oralie) Chapman, Bryan Chapman, Christopher (Riann) Chapman, Becky (Jared) Epstein, and Jeff Chapman. Great grandchildren Zander Carney, Riley Carney, Madison Ham-Flammang, Lizzy Evans, Danny Evans, Eva Chapman, Lyla Chapman, Quinn McIntyre, Owen McIntyre, Aiden Epstein, Alana Epstein, and Nathan Epstein.

A celebration of life will be held at the family home on Saturday August 30th, 2025.

Please email [email protected] for information.