Joyce M. Rapp (Weidner) Obituary (1924

Joyce M. Rapp (Weidner) Died peacefully with her family at her side on March 30, 2021, at her home in Lima. She was 96. Mrs. Rapp was predeceased by her husband of 70 years, Carl Richard "Dick'' Rapp. Survivors include her five children, Michael (Linda), of Osteen, Fla., Scott (Sandy) of Lansing, Stephen, of Lima, Mary (Roger) Reakes, of Lima, and Christopher (Pam) of Rochester; many grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and several nieces and nephews. Her first husband, Air Force Lt. William P. Dever Jr., was killed in World War II. Mrs. Rapp was town historian for many years and was named town historian emeritus in January. She was a strong advocate for veterans and was chosen Lima Citizen of the Year in 1999 for playing a key role along with her late husband in creating the village's veterans memorial. Later she worked to dedicate Route 15A as the Lima Veterans Memorial Highway. She wrote two books brimming with short stories on Lima's historical events, people and places, and donated book sale profits to charity. For many years she wrote a weekly column for The Lima Recorder and also wrote for The Sentinel weekly paper, and free-lance stories for The Democrat & Chronicle. At age 59, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Rochester, where she worked for 10 years. She spent many an afternoon doing historical research at the Lima Public Library, and enjoyed walking, a good book, fishing and occasionally translating passages from old Latin textbooks. She loved animals, gardening and baking. Mrs. Rapp lived in Lima some 55 years and was a longtime parishioner of St. Rose Church. Family meant everything to Mrs. Rapp and she loved sitting around the kitchen table with her adult children and grandchildren talking politics and issues of the day. She believed strongly in education and volunteered working with students at Lima Primary School for many years. On summer days years ago, she taught neighborhood children how to swim in her backyard pool. She dedicated herself to helping others right up to her final days. Her Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, April 10, at St. Rose Church, Lima. Interment at St. Rose Cemetery, Lima. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Agnes School Foundation, 60 Park Place, Avon, N.Y. 14414, or to the Lima Public Library, 1872 Genesee St., Lima, N.Y. 14485.