Gary Chassman

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of Gary. He had a vivacious spirit, a quick wit, and a deep commitment to his passions. Gary was an adventurous traveler, a lover of music, and made literature, art, and photography his life’s work.

Though he was born in New York, where he lived for most of his childhood, and where he attended The Walden School for high school, he has lived in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and California.

Gary worked at the Brentanos bookstore in the prudential center in Boston, and then moved to Claremont, California to become the manager of the Claremont Colleges bookstore.

He was later hired by Aperture, the premiere American photography publishing company. Here, he was able to refine his artistic eye and learn about the steps of conceiving and developing book production projects from start to finish.

In Burlington, Vermont, Gary opened Chassman & Bem Booksellers, a staple on Church street for two decades. Here, he built a town hub for readers, forging relationships with many writers, artists, musicians, and community members in the greater Burlington area. He saw the store as a place in which he could showcase the printed word.

Gary was also a member of the Friends of Indian Music and Dance, and participated in bringing Indian Music to Burlington.

After selling the store, Gary opened Verve Editions. Over 25 years, Gary and collaborating authors, artists, photographers, and designers conceived of, developed, and produced scores of original and beautifully made books. In the Spirit of Martin, which Gary conceived of and developed, included art and writing inspired by MLK Jr. that speaks to the power of art to shape collective national memory. The book explored the inspiring life and enduring legacy of MLK Jr., and also launched a partnership with the Smithsonian traveling art exhibition that toured museums and galleries in the US, including the Smithsonian Gallery in Washington, DC.

We are so incredibly proud of the work that he did and of the beautiful projects that he contributed to the world.

Gary is survived by his loving wife Deborah Boothby and his children Jenn and Josh, his brother, Neil, his nieces Keira, Dierdre, and Molly, as well as his granddaughters Elise and Paige. He is predeceased by his daughter Karyn and his parents Harry and Molly.

He will be deeply missed by his family and by the Burlington community.

A celebration of life will be held at 6:00 on Thursday, December 19th at the Chabad house, 57 S. Williams Street in Burlington Vermont. Appetizers and refreshments will be served.

If you are not able to to attend, but would like to share stories or memories of Gary, please reach out to his daughter, Jennifer at jachassman@gmail.com or his son, Josh at joshchassman@yahoo.com

In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made to: King Street Youth Center Or Feeding Champlain Valley.