Chappy, Pappy, and Happy

A source of inspiration

I’ve been asked where I receive inspiration for the articles I write. The answer is, “I never know.” Perhaps there is something in my brain resembling that little white marble on a roulette wheel, circling my brain like the marble on that wheel until it drops in a slot, and we have a winner. Or maybe we don’t. But at least we have a starting point.

The marble dropped the other morning as I enjoyed my daily 2-mile walk through the neighborhood. A car drove by, passing me from behind. I glanced at the rear of the vehicle as it passed and spotted a vanity license plate that read, “Chappy.” I pondered that word for a few minutes to allow my brain’s synapses to wrap around it.

If you are wondering right now if this was some deep magical moment, you will be disappointed to discover it was not. Those synapses barely skimmed the surface before I uttered, “Chappy, Pappy, and Happy,” not knowing exactly what that meant. I opened the Notes app on my phone, typed in C-h-a-p-p-y, and then stuffed the phone back in my pocket.

All of this led to a Google Search when I sat down at my desk later. The first search for Chappy revealed Danniel ‘Chappy’ James. James was the real-life inspiration for Louis Gossett, Jr.’s character, Chappy Sinclair in the 1986 movie, Iron Eagle. I thought a profile of that man might be an interesting topic for an article, and that’s true, but I decided to do more research on other people called Chappy. I did the same for Pappy and Happy.

In the end, I did not write about Chappy James or Pappy Boyington, the famous WW2 Marine fighter pilot. Instead, I discovered three different people—common people, yet they lived extraordinary lives. I think this tells us that everyday folks like you and me can be special without being famous.

In an effort to treat these people with the respect and recognition they deserve, I’ll present the article as a three-part series. Today, Part 1.

Chris ‘Chappy’ Chapman

Whitefish Pilot | May 5, 2020 1:22 PM

In Chris “Chappy” Chapman, everyone in Whitefish had a friend.

The well-known bar manager at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake and avid skier died on April 25 after nearly four decades of tending bar for locals and visitors alike.

Originally from Burlingame, California, Chapman moved to Whitefish in 1983 and immediately took to the town. He made a tour of the area’s favorite bars, working at the Palace, Truby’s, Great Northern Bar and Grill and eventually landing at The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, according to an obituary in the Pilot.

While Chapman had his own close circle, friend Bill Milner said he had a way of making everyone feel like they were part of the group.

“I think the most important thing was you always felt like he was so glad to see you because you were so special, and I believe he made everybody feel that way. He was as excited to see me as I was for him. I think that was a big part of his character,” Milner said. “I think Chappy was kind of a legendary person who lived as a legend while he was alive. You came into The Lodge at Whitefish Lake, a great lodge with a great view of the lake, but he made you feel special.”

Chapman married Lynnett Gobel and spent the last 23 years of his life with her and her son, Skyler.

In 2016, he was named Whitefish’s Best Bartender in the Best of Whitefish contest. Chapman told the Pilot at the time that his life philosophy was to make his patron’s day and enjoy life.

“Most people are here on vacation; they’re here to have fun,” he said. “It’s food and beverage, not life and death. Life’s short. You gotta have as much fun with it while you got it, whether you’re young or old. That’s something I’ve tried to be true to since I moved here.”

When he wasn’t behind the bar, Chapman was outside. Calling himself a “ski enthusiast” rather than a “ski bum,” Chapman was often found on the slopes of Whitefish Mountain Resort. When the resort started tracking vertical feet in 2003, Chapman made his mark at over 5 million vertical feet — a record held for ten seasons.

In the summers, he bagged peaks in Glacier National Park, rafted the forks of the Flathead River, and rode his bike along the local trails.

Milner recalls meeting and befriending Chapman during his stint at Truby’s.

In one instance, after the two had become friends, Chapman and Milner found themselves on opposing sides of the 2002 Super Bowl.

Milner, being from Tampa, was rooting for the Buccaneers, while the California native Chapman, of course, was behind the Raiders.

“I walked into the bar wearing a Tampa Hat and carrying a Tampa glass. We’d already become friends to a degree, and he says, ‘I’m not serving you. I’m pulling for Oakland, you’re for Tampa, so you can’t bring that crap in here,” Milner said with a laugh. “It was always funny, and we’d joke about the fact that he’d refused me service. That just bonded the relationship.”

Toby Scott moved to Whitefish in the early 1990s and got to know Chapman around town and on the ski hill.

Scott says he remembers Chapman for how active he was, both in the summer and winter, in Glacier Park and at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

“He was a very avid outdoorsman. In the winter, he skied every day. In 10 years of skiing, he had missed just six days. He was a guy who would put on skins and go skiing before and after the mountain was closed and then go into the park with some guys and hike up and ski down. In the summer, he did kayaking and everything else,” Scott said. “The biggest thing that I remember is the avid skiing. I went with him the second winter I was up here. There were locker spaces underneath what’s now Ed and Mully’s, and there were a bunch of hardcore skiers, so I happened to get a locker room there. Chappy was just one of the friendly guys that said, ‘Hey, let’s go skiing.’”

Chapman also battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system, in his early adult years, sparking a “live in the moment” philosophy he followed for the rest of his life.

“He was just like, ‘Oh, I’ll have fun for the rest of my days,’ and it turned out he just kept going and going,” Scott said. “He was always a real positive guy.”

Stay tuned next week for parts 2 and 3 in this series which recognizes ordinary people doing extraordinary things.

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