Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1889 - 1931), Saturday 19 September 1925, page 17


A NOTABLE CITIZEN

SUDDEN DEATH OF MR. F. A. CHAPMAN.

The death occurred on Friday of Mr. F. A. Chapman, the well-known and highlyrespected managing director of the Lion Brewing and Malting company, Ltd. Mr.

Chapman was travelling by the 4.30 pm Melbourne express on a holiday trip to Victoria in company with his brother, Mr. L. Chapman of Western Australia, when between Belair and Mount Lofty he sud-denly collapsed while in conversation with a fellow passenger. He was attended by Dr. P. Gorrie, who pronounced life ex-tinct, ihc cause ot death is believed to have been heart failure. Mr Chapman's family were informed, and his sons—Dr. A. Chapman and Mr. S. L Chapman had the body removed to his residence at Unley Park. Born in Stepney in 1864, Mr. Chapman was a son of Mr. Arthur Chapman, one of Adelaide's best-known hotel brokers. He was educated at Grote-street State   School, Mr. J. L. Young's Academy and Prince Alfred College. It was in-tended that he sbould become a jeweller, but he did not care for the work, and readily accepted an offer to enter the brewing trade. He was an energetic ap-prentice, under the supervision of Mr. G. Gray, at the Lion Brewery, Lower North Adelaide, and remained with the company all his life. There was no branch of the trade with which he was not thoroughly familiar. At the age of 25 he was ap-pointed secretary of the company. During the seven years previous to that appoint-ment he had gained a valuable insight into another departmeut of the business—that concerned with the distribution of the beverages, for when only 18 be was sent out as a traveller, and became acquainted with the methods of hotel management. The work was by no means easy, but the training proved invaluable to Mr. Chap-man in after-life, when, as secretary of the South Australian Associated Brewers and the Brewes' Association. He was able to offer sound opinions on matters of the greatest importance to the licenced trade—opinions based upon years of prac-tical experience. In Mr. Citapman's early days beer was much cheaper than it is now. The wholesale price was 1/ a gal-lon, and small breweries were to be found all over the country. Most, of these have now disappeared, having either closed down or become merged in larger busi-nesses. The company of which. Mr. Chap-man was managing director now confines itself to malting and the mauufaclure of aerated waters and cordials, and Mr. Chap-man's duties carried him periodically to Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth, where the company has regular purchasers for ita malt among the leading breweries. Mr. Chapman had no time for illness, for when he was not supervising the work of the company he was serving on various committees, or throwing his energies into matters of an equally arduous nature. His extensive business experience and long com-mercial training led to his services being in frequent demand, and on many occa-sions he represented the brewing interest at conferences and in Arbitration Court cases. He was on the directorate of the Co- operative Bottle Company, and was for a time chairman of the finance committee of the Chamber of Manufacturers. For six years he was a member cf the financial board connected with the Church of Eng-land Synod, but pressure of business com-pelled him to relinquish the post. He was also a synodsman for many years, as weii as a lay reader of the Church of En-land. He was a prominent Freemason. For many years he was a member of the board of general purposes, and frequently went out with the Grand Lodge to assist at the installation ceremonies. He was also a past master in the M.U., I.O.O.F In his younger days he was interested in crieket and other manly sports, but his principal pastime at late years was bowls. He was a member of the Com-mercial Travellers' Association, which he joined more than 30 years ago. The nature of his calling brought him into contact with a host of people of all classes, and an ability to win the con-fidence of all with whom he had intimate dealings was one of his outstanding characteristics. His genial presence will be sadly missed by a large circle of friends in this and other States. Mr. Chapman left a widow, two sons-— Dr. A. Chapman (superintendent of the Adelaide Dental Hospital) and Mr. S. Chapman (secretary of tbe Lion Brewing Company)— and one daughter—Miss Elma Chapman (Unley Park). His funeral will leave his residence, Thornber-street, Unley Park, at 2 pm. to-day for the Payneham Cemetery.