Elizabeth Parker Chapin

Was Magnolia Gardener

Elizabeth Parker Chapin died May 27 at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She was 89.

Elizabeth, or Lizanne as she was known to her friends, was an award-winning gardener and horticultural judge, an avid reader, ardent traveler and terrific hostess.

Born in Lowell on Dec. 4, 1918, she attended the Mary C. Wheeler School and Smith College.

Together with her husband, the late Melville Chapin, Lizanne contributed to the quality of education at many institutions, including Phillips Academy Andover and Yale University, where the two took great pleasure in devoting their time and resources to the Addison Gallery and the Yale Art Gallery in particular.

A woman of enormous loyalty, great style and particularly wicked wit, Lizanne spent her life taking care of her extended family and friends. Establishments for which she volunteered included the Mount Auburn Hospital, the Martha’s Vineyard Historical Society, Arrowhead, and the Polly Hill Arboretum, where her passion for magnolia trees begat the Melville variety. At her death she was a member of the Cambridge Plant and Garden Club, the Chilton Club, the Country Club and the Edgartown Yacht Club.

Survivors include her children, Elizabeth and Allen, and her seven grandchildren, Eric, Elizabeth, Samuel, Jessica, Anthony, Amanda and Peter.

She was dearly loved and her spark will be sorely missed.

Burial will be private. A memorial service will be planned. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Polly Hill Arboretum, P.O. Box 561, West Tisbury MA 02575.