Charles Wayne Rapp

A beloved family man, cherished friend, published author, skilled videographer and mentor, Charles Wayne Rapp passed away surrounded by his loving family on Nov. 5, 2024 at Mount Carmel East Hospital in Columbus. He was 85.

A native of Bisbee, Ariz., Wayne and his twin brother, Will, were born on Jan. 20, 1939, the sons of Charles and Kathryn Rapp. Their formative years were spent living on Tombstone Canyon with a younger brother, Bobby; and baby sister, Joyce. Wayne and his look-alike brother were standout students and athletes who became town legends by leading Bisbee High School to a pair of state championships in football.

They both earned full-ride scholarships to the University of Arizona and played along the offensive line. Wayne graduated with honors from the U of A in 1960 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. After earning his degree, he followed his dream of learning the film trade in Southern California and began writing and directing commercial films for North American Rockwell.

That’s when a handsome, 6’4” young man with a burgeoning career met his attractive 5’1” neighbor at his apartment complex in Downey, Calif.: Anne Shirley Godici of Oswego, N.Y. The two married in December 1961 and a year later welcomed their first child. A son and another daughter arrived in the years following, but Wayne’s tenure with Rockwell took a new path.

In the summer of 1970, Wayne, Anne and their young children (the fourth on the way) moved to the Far East side of Columbus and rebuilt their lives in Ohio, meeting lifelong friends and becoming active members of the community.

In 1989, Wayne became a self-employed writer, showing a penchant from video scripts, trade journal articles, newspaper and magazine pieces, speeches, brochures and the like. He also dived into freelance writing of essays and both fiction and nonfiction stories.

Over the years, he was able to share many of his short stories with the public. Among his more noteworthy published works are “A Gift of Oranges,” “Lessons from Underground” and “In the Time of Marvel and Confusion,” which was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. His Border Stories collection, “Burnt Sienna,” earned multiple Individual Artist Fellowships from the Ohio Arts Council. He and his wife also co-wrote “Drawn to the Living Water,” which detailed the 20-year history of the Spirituality Network in Columbus. In all, he had stories and articles published in dozens of books, periodicals and newspapers.

He also started his own video production company, It’s a Rapp Productions, allowing him to work with some of the most talented central Ohioans in the business and to show the ropes to many young, eager apprentices and co-workers.

Through many ups and downs, including the loss of several loved ones before him, Wayne’s commitment to family, unwavering work ethic and faith were always on display. And his devotion to Anne, the love of his life, lasted to his final days. The two were married for more than 55 years when Anne passed away in 2017.

Wayne’s love of sports and his alma mater – the Arizona Wildcats – only grew throughout his life and one of his true joys was to soak in the successes, achievements and exploits of his children and grandchildren. Despite living time zones apart, Wayne and Will remained in constant contact and Will even spoke to his twin in Wayne’s final hours.

Wayne is survived by his four children: Theresa (Kevin) Briggs, Jeff (Melissa) Rapp, Lisa Hayes, and David Rapp. He is also survived by Anne’s birth son, Jeff Smith (Cynthia Ashbrook) and nine grandchildren ranging in age from 33 to 13: Michelle (Jeremy McDaniel), Natalie and Monica Briggs; Madeleine (Zach) Bryan, Brian Rapp and Olivia Rapp; Eric Hayes; and Samantha and Charlie Rapp. “Papa” also was a great-grandfather to 1-year-old Hal McDaniel.

Other survivors who already dearly miss Wayne include his brother, Will (Kathy Kolbe), brother-in-law Tom Leslie, aunt Ninette Rapp, and many nieces, nephews and cousins who reside in Arizona and California as well as in-laws from Anne’s New York-based family: Jim Huckabee, Christine (Bob) Holmes, Lorraine Greene and many more nieces, nephews and loved ones.

He is preceded in death by his wife, Anne; his parents, Charles & Kathryn; brother, Robert Rapp and his ex-wife, Sherry; sister, Joyce Leslie; in-laws Celia & Frank Godici, Fran & Betty Godici, Diane Huckabee, and Ron Godici; and many more loved ones, friends, and fellow churchgoers.

Wayne’s family will receive visitors and those who want to help honor his amazing life from 4 to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 5, at Schoedinger Margarum Northeast, located at 1051 E. Johnstown Rd. in Gahanna. A memorial service will follow promptly at 6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Spirituality Network, 444 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215.