Jennifer Wilkins Chapin, known to all as Jeffie, died from injuries sustained in an equestrian accident on Sunday, August 11, in Woodstock, Vermont. Jeffie was born in Baltimore, Maryland on April 27, 1987 to Sarah and Stephen Wilkins. She attended Garrison Forest School in Maryland, Andover Elementary/Middle School, and Proctor Academy. Jeffie earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Neuroscience from Skidmore College in 2009, and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Lesley University in 2012. 

At Skidmore, she was also the captain of the intercollegiate riding team during her senior year. In 2009, she was the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association national champion in Open Equitation Flat Class Team Competition. Jeffie is survived by her husband, Deacon Howard Chapin of Wenham, Massachusetts, her parents, her brother Nicholas Wilkins, her sister Susannah Barry, and her grandparents Linette French of Annisquam, Massachusetts, and Angela and Herbert Wilkins of Concord, Massachusetts.

What is most important to understand is that Jeffie lived her dream, a dream she had from her earliest days, to be surrounded by horses. She had her own horses; she lived on a beautiful horse farm in Wenham, Massachusetts.  She worked hard every day for her horses, donkey, dogs, and cats, and she found a husband in Deacon who shared these loves with her. Few of us actually know our life dream. From her earliest days as a child, she actually knew precisely what her dream was, and she achieved it. On her last day, Jeffie was doing exactly what her life dream had in store — she was in an equestrian competition with her horses alongside of her husband and her dogs. Jeffie’s dream has now become eternal.

Jeffie was a teacher. She possessed deep insights into her students in the classroom and in the riding ring. Her humility, kindness, tenacity, honesty, love, and intelligence caused her to be remarkably successful helping children. She taught at the Carroll School in Lincoln, Massachusetts, Brookwood School in Manchester, Massachusetts, and Bentley Academy Charter School in Salem, Massachusetts. Additionally, she helped hundreds of young children acquire a love of horses and all the work and satisfaction that derives from helping animals. 

Deacon’s father, David Chapin, and stepmother, Lauren Norton, and Jeffie’s parents have established the Jennifer Wilkins Chapin Foundation so that Jeffie’s legacy will endure as the foundation seeks to make the equestrian world accessible to young people who need financial support to pursue their dreams.Tax-exempt contributions can be sent to the Foundation at 110 Larch Row, Wenham, Massachusetts 01984.

Services were held on August 16 at The Myopia Hunt Club in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. Arrangements were in the care of the McDonald Funeral Home. For guestbook, mcdonaldfs.com.