Ray N. Rapp

Ray Norman Rapp died peacefully on October 12, 2022. He was 99 years old. His wife Grace predeceased him in March of 2021; they had been married for 75 years. Ray is survived by his 6 children Ray, Ann, Rose, June, Lance and Carrie; 7 grandchildren, Richard, Gary, Randy, Caroline, Catherine, Claire and Courtney; 4 great-grandchildren, Brandon, Patrick, Ava and Anson.

Ray was born in Goshen, Ohio ,on July 25, 1923. He was a WWII veteran, serving as a Marine in Guadalcanal. He married Grace on February 26, 1946, in Omaha, Nebraska. They lived in Chicago as newlyweds where Ray was a television repairman. They enjoyed the nightlife of those postwar days of the Big Band Era. Later they returned to Omaha and eventually moved to Angola, Indiana, where he attended Tri State University, earning a degree in Electrical Engineering.

After graduation he worked for Collins Radio in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was transferred with them to Dallas in 1961. Collins Radio was eventually sold to Rockwell International and Ray worked there as a project manager until retirement. One of his more interesting projects he enjoyed was the tracking systems around the globe for the first Apollo Space Mission. He was part of a team who worked in Pakistan setting up surveillance of Russians in Afghanistan and he met the Shah of Iran when designing communications systems for his airplane.

His work took him to many places around the world including Japan where he visited his son Ray who was stationed there while in the army. He had some interesting adventures on his travels, like taking a jeep trip over Khyber Pass in Pakistan and once, on a layover in Rome, he rented a scooter and toured around on his own "not having any idea what he was doing". He and Grace also traveled to many places together such as Germany, Israel, Yugoslavia, Mexico and Hawaii.

Ray and Grace had many friends with whom they played bridge for several years. They were active members of the Circle I Square Dance Club, a games group and a social dining club that met weekly for many, many years. He grew up Methodist, but converted to Catholicism when he married Grace. They were members of St. Monica's parish for over 60 years and continued to watch Mass on television when health prevented them from driving and attending in person.

Ray often said how fortunate he felt in life. He always stayed curious and was a big reader. He loved joking around and telling stories. He was a generous man who was always helping other people. He faced all, including the last, of life's challenges with strength and courage.

Ray never strayed too far from his rural upbringing in Ohio and always enjoyed doing all his own yard work. He was a dedicated walker; even up to his last days his daily walks were one of his greatest joys. He loved chatting with folks and seeing all the kids and dogs on the trail.

As a young boy he was sent to help his grandparents one summer on their farm where he was "so lonely it hurt". While he dearly loved his earthly home, his family hopes that this final journey has taken him to a true home and he will never know loneliness again.