John Chappel, 63, Physical Therapist
A world-renowned pediatric physical therapist, John Chappel’s passion was in the neonatal intensive care unit, his wife, Dr. Christine Ganitsch, said.
“John will long be remembered for his brilliant mind, deep compassion for others, boundless generosity, his genuine concern for all human beings, and of course, his bigger than life, fun-loving personality,” his wife wrote.
Mr. Chappel, a resident of Springs, died on Aug. 29 at Stony Brook University Hospital of a cerebral aneurysm. He was 63.
A lover of the outdoors, he was a birdwatcher, gardener, camper, hiker, boat enthusiast, and body surfer. He was also an amateur chef and cocktail mixologist and a music and film buff.
In the medical field, he was a sought-after expert and educator who presented at prestigious conferences on the care of newborns and their families. He was recognized as an expert in teaching and applying individualized synactive manual therapy interventions in pediatrics across many fields, from neonatal intensive care, oncology, neurological disorders, respiratory, cardiac, gastrointestinal and oral feeding disorders to autistic spectrum disorders and palliative and end-of-life caregiving.
During his years of clinical practice in the New York-New Jersey metro area, he positively impacted the lives of countless infants, children, and their families, his wife said. He also taught clinical workshops in newborn intensive care units at over 100 hospitals in this county and abroad.
The son of Al and Mary Elizabeth Chappel, he was born in Manhattan on Jan. 22, 1953, and lived there until moving to Basking Ridge, N.J., in 1986. He received a bachelor of science in physical therapy and a master of arts in pathokinesiology from New York University.
He and his wife, who were married for 35 years, had visited East Hampton since the early 1970s. They bought a house in Springs 20 years ago, and he loved being near the water and the beach. “Lion Head Beach was his sanctuary, his heaven on earth, where he was often overheard saying, ‘Everyone wants to be us,’ ” his wife wrote. They moved there full time in 2012.
His parents died before him.
Mr. Chappel’s friends and family gathered at Lion Head Beach on Saturday for a tribute to his life.
Memorial donations have been suggested to the Newborn Individual Developmental Care and Assessment Program Federation International, a nonprofit that strives to create a supportive, gentle environment for fragile infants who require intensive care. Mr. Chappel was a professional member of NIDCAP for over 30 years. The address is 6300 Creedmoor Road, Suite 170-127, Raleigh, N.C. 27612 or nidcap.org.