Longtime Laconia resident and attorney John P. Chandler passed away peacefully July 11, 2016, at Golden View Heath Care Center, Meredith, N.H., following several years of declining health.
John Pierce Chandler was born April 6, 1927, to Henry Poor Chandler, Sr., and Florence McArdle Chandler in Westfield, Mass, spent his early years in several northeast states, and always summered with family at “the Farm” in Tuftonboro, N.H.
He graduated from high school in Wilmington, Del., on D-Day 1944, entered Harvard and on reaching age 18 served in the U.S. Navy. In 1946 he returned to college, graduating with his Class of 1948. In 2013 he joined with classmates from around the country at their “65th.”
He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1952 and entered a law practice, which became Snierson and Chandler, later adding others, until 1983 when he became affiliated as of counsel with the Concord firm, Sulloway and Hollis. He retired in 1999 and maintained a limited law practice in Meredith until 2010.
John loved the practice of law; he played active roles in the Belknap Country Bar Association as President and Secretary, and the N.H. Bar Association where he served a term on the board of governors and was active in the real estate section. He was a member of the Laconia City Charter Commission; he served terms as Laconia City Solicitor, President & Secretary of Laconia Hospital (now LRGH), Chairman of the Taylor Home, board member of Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, chairman of the NH Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club, chairman of the Harvard Club of New Hampshire, chairman of the Laconia Red Cross where he served for many years on the New Hampshire/Vermont Blood Program Executive Committee. He was an incorporator of Laconia Savings Bank, which later became Bank of N.H., and was a long-time moderator of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Laconia.
On June 20, 1959, he and Martha Webb began their 57-year marriage of devoted companionship, parenting and a commitment to shared interests including education; child welfare; land preservation; art museums, particularly the White Mountain School of Art; music; politics; physical fitness; Amtrak trips west; and, most deeply, a love of New Hampshire and New England in every season.
Family life was active: hiking mountains and woodlands, crosscountry skiing, cycling, gardening (John’s specialty was blackberries), trail maintenance
with the Wonalancet Out Door Club, and pleasant hours spent in his woodlot, much of this at their simple family retreat in Wonalancet, where downtime was spent with friends, reading and just plain relaxing. Nothing was more fun for John than to lead family and friends in making hand-cranked ice cream, the tools for which could often be found conveniently stored in the trunk of his car. John was a voracious reader of history and poetry; he memorized endless lines of classic poetry, which entertained him while he ran and sustained him until his last days.
John took up running in mid-life and competed successfully in countless races with teammates from two N.H. running clubs, the White Mountain Milers and Granite State Race Team. After years of running in N.H., with Martha as driver and provider of fluids, he “connected the dots” and in his early 80's completed a route from Massachusetts to Chartierville, Quebec, with Ellen and David accompanying him in running the final (uphill!) miles to the Canadian border.
He is survived by his wife, Martha, of Laconia, a daughter, Ellen Chandler of New London, N.H., a son and daughter-in-law, David John and Nina Chandler of Intervale, N.H., a brother, Henry Chandler, Jr. of Wolfeboro, N.H., a sister, Florence Mullin of Jacksonville, Florida, many nieces, nephews and cousins. A sister, Catherine Wengraf, predeceased him.
Burial will be private in Wonalancet, NH.
His family invites friends and associates to share reminiscences on Wednesday, August 3, 2016, from 8:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., at the Belknap Mill, 25 Beacon Street East, Laconia, an historic building that John assisted in preserving.
John’s family is grateful to the staff at Golden View Health Care Center for the compassionate care they provided as his health declined during his final years.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the The Circle Program, PO Box 815, Plymouth, N.H. 03264 (www.circleprogram.org) or The Mayhew Program, PO Box 120, Bristol, N.H 03222 (www.mayhew.org) or to the land conservation program of one’s choice.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H. is assisting the family with the arrangements.