Bill Chapman Honored With Antioch Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award

Citizen of the Year Winner Jim Lanter (left) congratulates Lifetime Achievement Award winner Bill Chapman at the Chamber's Annual Gala. photo by Allen Payton

By Antioch Chamber of Commerce

At the Annual Gala of the Antioch Chamber of Commerce, William A. “Bill” Chapman was honored with the 2010 Antioch Lifetime Achievement Award.

The other nominees were Antioch School Board Trustee Walter Ruehlig, Give Always To Others & Company Founder Carmen Aguilar Ochoa, Antioch Mello Roos Board Member and Boy Scout Leader Larry Osorio, Antioch Rotarian, Junior Achievement and Dow Wetlands Team Leader Krist Jensen.

Bill was born on September 14, 1940 in San Francisco, CA. to George W. and Margaret Scott Chapman – aka Flapjack Bill, Willie, Chap and Pops.

The Chapman family lived in Sacramento for awhile and then returned to Winters, CA. His mother’s family operated a sheep ranch north of Winters – which is family owned and managed since 1850. Today you will find western grassland fed beef roaming the hills, not sheep.

During his four years of high school, Bill was a resident student at Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento. Upon graduation he matriculated at Saint Mary’s College of California, Moraga, CA., where he graduated in 1962 with a B.S. in Economics and a minor in Accounting. He was then employed by Arthur Young and Company, C.P.A.s, in their San Francisco office. In 1967 he changed from public accounting to private industry and was employed by the Fibreboard Corporation at their Francisco Street Office in the Internal Audit department. Eventually he arrived in Antioch – in 1969 – as the Plant Controller for the Antioch Paperboard, and Carton Mill.

In June of 1974 Bill met, courted and married Mary Carr on November 30, 1974. Their family grew by three with the children – Scott who is deceased, Paul 32 years an electrician and Julia 30 years of age – a Kindergarten Teacher at Discovery Bay Elementary.

In 1985 he joined the WindMaster Group as their Controller. When the Sacramento office was consolidated with the Byron Wind Farm in 1986; the family returned to Antioch. As Bill has sometimes refers to this period; he was working for “Don Quixote”.

In Antioch, two of our children were active recreational swimmers with the Delta Skimmers from the “get go”. Bill provided a grill for league events and cooked hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. But he really got a reputation for his “flapjacks” and eventually was assigned the nickname of “Flapjack Bill”. With additional cooking duties at the Bedford Center, Hunger Walk, Rotary, etc. The Delta Newcomers was another venue for getting involved with the community; along with the Rotary Club of the Delta and the Holy Rosary Parish. Bill has always been willing to help with a multitude of community programs from the Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, or the Parents Guild. Through the years he is best remembered as Santa for the Holiday Delites Parade and as the Santa at Carondelet’s Visions of Christmas.

One adventure that he choreographed was a field trip for some Holy Rosary students to tour the WindMaster Wind Farm in the Altamont Pass. Another Chapman event, from years past; was when he gave some of the Japanese Exchange students and their host families a “jeep tour” of the Clarence Scott Hill Ranch – a sheep ranch in Winters.

Upon retirement; community projects became a significant focus and involvement. He is currently the Chairman of the Antioch Committee on Aging, and the Antioch Low Cost Senior Housing at Hillcrest Terrace and Rivertown Senior Housing. He serves as the Treasurer for the Antioch Youth Sports Complex and Secretary for An Elderly Wish Foundation and the World Board of Directors. Additional Board commitments include: Delta 2000 – Rivertown Resource Center, and the Outdoor Sportsmen’s Coalition of California. A Bingo Caller at the Antioch Senior Center on Mondays. He is also involved at Holy Rosary Church. In addition to the above, he actively participates as the managing partner of the Clarence Scott Ranches properties in Yolo County.

Bill is a man with many hats but if you need or want anything he is right there for you. He is never too busy for his bride, children or his friends. You are always greeted with a smile or some humorous statement to bring a smile or make you laugh. Antioch has benefited from his friendship, humor and good ideas always working to make our city better.


the attachments to this post:

Citizen of the Year Winner Jim Lanter congratulates Lifetime Achievement Award winner Bill Chapman at the Chamber's Annual Gala.
Jim Lanter congratulates Bill Chapman


One Comment to “Bill Chapman Honored With Antioch Chamber’s Lifetime Achievement Award”

  1. Don Gagnon says:

    Is the Bill Chapman in the article any relation to the Bill Chapman from Winters that was a Plant Controller at Fibreboard Corp in Stockton in the 1970’s (not sure what years but in the late 70’s

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