Ray Edward Chapman (1908 - 2007)

Born 3 Nov 1908 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Ancestors

Husband of Irene May (McPhedran) Chapman — married 31 Jul 1940 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Died 7 Jan 2007 at age 98 in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Biography

Ray was born in 1908. He was the son of Ernest Chapman and Daisy Swift.

Born in Vancouver November 3, 1908, he was an official flag person for his school when Vancouver changed driving from the left to the right side of the road. He graduated from King Edward High School and attended UBC to 3rd year Engineering. He worked at Britannia Mines believing he would become a Mining Engineer until he reached the depth of the pit and understood the concept of darkness. He helped his father around Chapman's Machine Shop on Seymour, first driving at the age of 14 and helped his grandfather over Christmases at Edward Chapman Ltd. He also worked as a used car salesman for Colliers on Georgia, was never really a salesman, but invented his concept of a 'courtesy' car to make sales. He started surveying with his uncle John Elliott, BCLS in 1931 up in the Peace River area. He continued to survey summers with his uncles John and Hector Elliott, and work winters in one of his father's bowling alleys, Chapmans on Seymour, where he met his wife Irene, who managed the Hudson's Bay Company Bowling League. As War broke out a friend Hesketh Roberts told him the Air Force was looking for surveyors so Dad joined, surveying from 1940 to 1945 for airstrips on the Northwest Staging Route. Following the War, Ray was commissioned a BCLS in 1946 and rejoined his uncles. He worked with the Provincial Government Survey Branch from 1950 to 1953 before rejoining his uncles, then opening his own office in West Vancouver in 1955 as his uncles retired. Ray devoted his career from 1955 to date with the development of West Vancouver. He was President of the Land Surveyors in 1963 and was made a Life Member in 1981. He has been an active Rotarian since November 1964. He was the recipient of the West Vancouver Heritage Award in 1996 and made WV Citizen of the Year in 2004. Ray surveyed for 75 years, was a BCLS for 61 years, and was the best partner a man could have with his son Bill for 31 years. He continued coming to the office every day until his death. ^[1]

Sources

1. ↑ Obituary

• "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:27XB-XM2 : 16 March 2018), Ray Ed Chapman in entry for Edward Chapman, 1911; citing Census, Vancouver Sub-Districts 19-50, British Columbia, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,417,662.

• "Recensement du Canada de 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV95-9T6N : 16 March 2018), Ray Chapman in entry for Samuel Smith, 1911; citing Census, Vancouver Sub-Districts 51-76, British Columbia, Canada, Library and Archives of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario; FHL microfilm 2,417,663.

• "Idaho, Eastport, Arrival Manifests, 1924-1956," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KF66-7BD : 15 March 2018), Ray E Chapman, 1931; citing Immigration, Eastport, Idaho, United States, NARA microfilm publication A3460 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

See Also:

• Chapman Land Surveying - 100 year anniversary

• VIMY, A LOCAL CONNECTION: CHAPMAN LAND SURVEYING