On June 23, 2019, Furman “Chip” Crawford Horton III passed away suddenly. Chip was born on January 19, 1957, to Helen (Muth) and Furman Crawford Horton Jr. in Fredericksburg, Va., and grew up in Dix Hills, Long Island, N.Y. He attended Farmingdale Community College, where he received his associate’s degree in horticulture, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Johnson State College. He then went on to earn his master’s degree in urban forestry from Union Institute & University. Chip was an International Society of Arboriculture certified arborist for more than 40 years and was the tree care coordinator for Central Park in New York City from 1987 to 1994. He also managed the campus landscapes at Temple University and James Madison University.
Several years after moving to Vermont, Chip took on a new role working with individuals with mental health challenges. More recently, he began teaching adult education courses in northern Vermont, while maintaining his freelance business in arboriculture and horticulture. Chip was a natural skier and avid outdoorsman. He had a love for basketball and tennis, and he consistently won nearly every game with his kids. Dedicated to family, he was a loving father to Elijah and Olivia, a dear brother to Deborah, and very close to his aunt, Elizabeth Ispaics, whom he called every Sunday.
He is survived by his son, Elijah F. Horton; his daughter, Olivia P. Horton; his grandson, Nicolas Gabriel; his sister, Deborah (Richard); his aunt, Elizabeth (Steve); and his cousins Madelaine, Robert (Kim) and Ben Horton (Ann). He was deeply loved by all.
Chip will always be remembered for his wonderful smile, his hearty laugh, his good and generous heart, and his quirky sense of humor. Most of all, he loved and was proud of his two children, Olivia and Elijah, and never had a conversation without mentioning his joy in being their father.
A memorial service will be held at the Jewish Community of Greater Stowe on Thursday, June 27 at noon.
This article appears in Jun 19-25, 2019.
I am so incredibly saddened by this. Chip was an absolutely wonderful friend of mine for many years here in Vermont. We met when my late husband and I hired him to assist us with some urban tree work while we were employed by the Town of Essex in the early 2000’s. We remained friends for many years and he was a huge support to me after my husband passed away in an auto accident in 2008, and was always there for me years beyond. We shared many laughs and tears together and I very much enjoyed our conversations and time together, especially anything related to our shared love of trees, horticulture, and the outdoors in general. He was such a kind, thoughtful, loving soul. RIP my friend. My condolences to all family and friends touched by his beautiful energy. My heart is very heavy.
Words cannot express how deeply sorry I am to hear of Chip’s passing. He was such a kind, caring soul who really made a difference in this world. My heart goes out to Debbie, Elijah, Olivia and family.