This month, we had the pleasure of interviewing neighbor and Sarasota native, John Chapman. 

Anymore, a large majority of Sarasota’s population consists of transplants and snowbirds. John is a different story. He has had deep roots planted here for FOUR generations, to be exact! If we’re splitting hairs, he was technically born in New York, where his father was working at the time. He moved to Sarasota at just four months of age, however, to join his mother’s side of the family. The Wilsons had settled here before the turn of the 20th century. John’s Grandfather, Clyde, had two ranches -one located behind the cemetery on South Trail, and the other at the modern-day Urfer Park on Bee Ridge Road, where John spent his youth.  John’s family lived on Old Oak Drive and John went to elementary school at Southside.   After school, John would often visit with his great-grandmother, who lived right across the street. He calls her home back then a “little Florida Cracker house”, which was built in 1926. 

The funny thing is that John later lived in that house when he returned to Sarasota after studying Agricultural Economics at Auburn University, followed by Law School at Stetson, in St. Petersburg.  He continued to live there until 2006. At that point, he decided to “move the ‘little Florida Cracker house’ down to Osprey and build the ‘modern Metal Box house’ found there now”. 

John has practiced as an attorney for thirty years now, twelve of those solo. He began his career working at his grandfather’s law firm, which was located on Orange Ave. in the building where the Caldwell Trust Company is now.  After practicing just five years, John became board-certified in business litigation. Today, he primarily litigates civil disputes, including real estate and construction matters, as well as inheritance/probate cases. He is also a certified mediator. He serves in several philanthropic and business organizations: Humane Society of Sarasota County (where he has proudly served as both a board member and president), Friends of Selby Gardens, the Sarasota Bar Association, and Inns of Court. 

What about his free time? “I enjoy not having a plan for the weekend and seeing where it takes me”. At the Sarasota Yacht Club, he keeps a small center console, on which he loves to boat and fish. He enjoys racing his car at Sebring Racetrack and riding each of his several motorcycles.

 

“I spend a lot of time in North Carolina, but I really like to explore places I've never been before. I usually have one big trip a year, typically motorcycling somewhere in Europe. In the last year I’ve been to New Zealand, Crete, and just recently, Norway. I am looking forward to going somewhere in Asia next, like Vietnam.” 

John enjoys being a proud Uncle and role model to his niece and nephews who live locally. His sister, Camille, has two boys-one, a college student (Ian), and the other, a graduate of Ringling College of Arts and Design (Noah). Carole and Brian, his other sister and her husband, have Camryn and Cullen-both Florida State Grads like their parents.

John’s beautiful 2624 S. Osprey residence is just the perfect place to share with his cats, Clyde and Polly, who were named after his grandparents. A fourth family member and previous resident, his Labradoodle named Maggie (who John had inherited from his late mother, Paula) died just a couple of years ago. John, Clyde and Polly are not quite ready for another dog just yet. One big advantage of the home’s location is how it is a stone’s throw away from the fan-favorite stores, restaurants, and bars of Southside Village. On his list are Morton’s, Southside Deli, Libby’s, Veronica’s, Pacific Rim, Origins and Legends. Being close to downtown isn’t bad either. John mentions that while other surrounding communities might be nice, they are often built to be uniform with every house looking the same. He feels proud to live in an area with variety where each house has its unique personality. He loves that familiar feeling he gets in the neighborhood, considering his growing up here.

In reference to what he likes most about our Stroll Southside Village publication? He states, “I appreciate learning about my neighbors, even if I've never met them, and hearing their stories. Also, even though I don't have my own kids, I really enjoy the stories about my friends' kids. I like seeing them grow up and go from elementary school to college”. 

John closed our interview with a good piece of neighborly advice, “Leave your car behind! Whether it's just strolling around the neighborhood, walking your dog, or riding your bike to Morton’s. There's a lot to see here and it's one of the best ways to get to know people”.