We learned a great deal about Chap through his articles in "DC": his love for chiropractic; his fondness for fishing; playing tennis; the taste of bourbon; and Bach played on the classical guitar.
While maintaining his chiropractic practice, Chap ventured into a second career -- that of novelist -- and we were proud to see his first novel Mote win the Mystery Writers of America Edgar Allan Poe Award for best young adult novel of 1991.
In "Painful Decisions" (March 13, 1992), the last article Chap wrote for us, he spoke of being torn between continuing the practice of chiropractic or committing himself to full-time writing. But he found the reward of the positive feedback he got from his patients made the decision an easy one: he would continue to practice.
Chap graduated from Palmer College in March 1957; while there, he became friends with B.J. Palmer. Chap subsequently wrote an article for "DC" (Jan. 4, 1991 issue) recounting the time as a first quarter 18-year-old student at Palmer, B.J. asked Chap what he thought of his lecture. Chap told B.J. his lecture was boring because he had just read to the class the entire time, with no class interaction. B.J. took the advice to heart: at the next lecture, B.J. told the class, "Suppose we just chat together?"
After college, Chap went into the Air Force and was sent to Dobbins Air Force base in Marietta, Georgia. It was there that he meet his future wife, Dixie. They were married in 1960.
After the Air Force stint, Chap began his practice in Cold Spring, Kentucky, near Cincinnati, and stayed there for 20 years.
In 1979, Chap and family moved to Marietta. In 1980, a patient told Chap he should write down some of the stories he'd told him. Chap sent a humorous story to a magazine and got a check and request for three more stories: a portentous beginning.
After the success of Mote, Chap wrote A Little Bit Dead, a novel of the old West set in 1873, which was published this past November.
Our warmest regards to Chap's family, wife Dixie, sons Herbert Reaver III, Scott, and his father and mother.
We'll miss him. He was a genuine, down-to-earth man that exuded wit, humor and warmth.
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