Gerald D. (Jerry) Rapp Sr.

RAPP Sr., Gerald D. (Jerry) age 72, of Dayton, passed away on Sunday, November 27, 2005. Jerry was born at Berwyn, NE on July 19, 1933 to the late Mildred A. & Kenneth P. Rapp and attended elementary and high school in Tekamah, NE. A graduate of the University of Missouri at Columbia, School of Business in 1955 and of the University of Michigan Law School, Ann Arbor Michigan in 1958. Jerry served as an officer in the U.S. Army J.A.G.C. office at Ft. Bliss, TX from 1958-1960. He practiced law in Dayton from 1960 until 1970 with the law firm of Smith & Schnacke before joining the Mead Corporation in 1970 to the Corporation’s first internal general counsel’s office. In addition to briefly serving Mead as its V.P. for Human Resources and Chairman of Mead Data Central, Inc. (Lexis Nexis) during the 1970’s, Jerry was also Mead’s Chief Legal Officer, Secretary of its Board of Directors, and Sr. Vice President when he retired in 1990, after which he was appointed counsel to the Mead Board of Directors for a two year period. Following retirement from Mead, Jerry was of counsel of the Dayton law firm of Bieser, Greer, and Landis and served as a legal and business consultant for several international corporations. He especially enjoyed the time spent around Durango, CO with family at Tamarron and their Weber Canyon Ranch near Mesa Verde. He is survived by his beloved partner and friend, Marilyn Seibert Allen, and his beloved children (by his former wife, Jane C. Thomas) and their families: son, Jerry Rapp, Jr., daughter-in-law, Anne Rapp and grandchildren, Kyle, Barry and Emily of Durango, CO; son, Gregg Rapp of Palm Springs, CA; and daughter, Amy Frances Wanzek, son-in-law, Steve Wanzek, and grandchildren, Jamie, Jane and Riley of Durango, CO, and his beloved friend, and surrogate son, Vitaly Potapenko. He is also survived by his two sisters and brothers-in-law, Jean and Donald Speck of Tekamah, NE and Elizabeth Ann (Beth) and Richard Smith, of SD and many nieces and nephews, as well as members of the Seibert family in TX. Jerry had been a member of the American Bar Association, Ohio State Bar Association, Dayton Bar Association and served on the boards of Big Brothers of Greater Dayton, Oakwood Youth Commission, Urbana College, Ohio Center for Leadership Studies, Robert Greenleaf Servant Leadership Center, the President’s Visitors Committee for University of Michigan Law School, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, and Co-Chair National Committee for Fair Compensation for the Federal Judiciary branch. He had been a member of Moraine Country Club, Dayton Racquet Club, Dayton Bicycle Club, Ye Buz Fuz Club, Dayton Lawyers Club, the Metropolitan Club of Washington, D.C., Phi Kappa Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma, and Phi Delta Phi. Burial will be in Tekamah, Nebraska. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM, Saturday at St. Paul Lutheran Church, 239 Wayne Avenue, Dayton, Ohio with Pastor William Miller officiating. Following services a reception will be held for family and friends at Neil’s Heritage House, 2323 Schantz Ave., Oakwood from 2-5:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, if desired, memorial contributions may be made to Project Blessing – Meals for the Homeless c/o St. Paul Lutheran Church, 239 Wayne Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45402 or Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, 215 East Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402-2108. Arrangements in care of Routsong Funeral Home, Oakwood Chapel. Condolences and or flowers may be sent to the family via the funeral home’s website at www.routsong.com. Jerry was a friend of Mar Good who is the owner of the Flower Shoppe on Brown St. If you are searching for a florist, you can call Mark at 937-224-7673.

Funeral Home:
Oakwood Routsong Funeral Home
6 Oakwood Ave.
Oakwood, OH
US 45409