Deceased May 12, 2020
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In Memory
Charlie Rapp passed away on May 12, 2020, at the age of 49 near his home in Vancouver, Wash. Charlie will be remembered as a caring pediatrician, loving father, husband and son and a dedicated friend.
During his time at Amherst, Charlie displayed his jovial spirit, his goofy sense of humor and openly authentic nature consistently during his various activities. Charlie majored in history graduating magna cum laude; was a dedicated member of the track and cross-country teams; and also was the resident counselor in Stone dormitory his junior year.
Throughout his life, Charlie displayed his amazing spirit through his goofy sense of humor; his tendency to engage in long, intense discussions with any willing partner; and his passion for finding the next great adventure. Like the ideal Renaissance man, he excelled in everything he did.
He had a knack for getting into long discussions, whether it was in the locker room after a workout or at Valentine long after most students had left and the staff was waiting to clear the tables. He was so intent on the subject that he would lose all track of his surroundings, time and place. That was Charlie.
His jovial and friendly spirit meant that Charlie was always talking to others and making new friends. This was highlighted at our 25th Reunion. While most of our class tended to naturally congregate in the groups of old friends from our time at Amherst, Charlie was out making the rounds, his laughter floating across the tent, his companion equally engaged. It could have been a classmate he knew well or someone with whom he had only crossed paths a few times. It did not matter; that was Charlie.
Charlie attacked his running with grit, determination and skill. At Amherst, like many distance runners, Charlie took a stab at the 3,000-meter steeplechase, which is perhaps the most challenging, hybrid event in track and field. It combines distance running with hurdling and throws in a water hazard for good measure (even more exciting during early spring races in New England). While Charlie’s teammates generally found one attempt at this difficult (abusive) event was more than enough to satisfy their curiosity, Charlie made this bizarre event his own. He competed in the event for multiple seasons, and his senior spring, he set the school record at 9:36, eventually holding it for more than six years. It was fitting that Charlie was the best Amherst had ever seen at an event that no one else seemed able to master (or even like). That was Charlie.
After completing medical school at Temple University, Charlie completed his pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. During his residency in LA, Charlie met the love of his life, Marla, and they were married in October 2000.
After his residency, Charlie and Marla relocated to Vancouver, Wash., just outside of Portland, Ore. There he became a highly-respected and beloved pediatrician in the Evergreen Pediatric Clinic. After his passing, many of his patients’ families posted messages and remembrances to his practice’s Facebook page. What came out of those messages were themes we could recognize from his time at Amherst. How well he listened to his patients. The caring way he treated people. His intelligence in diagnosing unusual and rare conditions. His dedication to making sure patients received the best care and the best coverage from their insurance companies. And his humor. His goofy, silly, outsized sense of humor. One remembrance thanked him for his care referencing his attempt to dislodge a foreign object from his patient’s nose by blowing into the child’s mouth. That was Charlie.
Charlie and Marla raised their family in Vancouver, and he was a loving father to his three amazing children. He shared with them his curiosity about the world, his love of sports and the outdoors and his compassion for humankind. In turn, his children recognize how lucky they were to have him. His eldest daughter, Amy, put it best: “Thank you, Dad, for everything. You are the best father I could have asked for…” That was Charlie.
Charlie is also survived by his wife of almost 20 years, Marla Maxfield Rapp. Many of us attended their wedding and met them in their and our travels over the subsequent years. Marla is a smart and caring person and was an excellent match for Charlie. Most importantly, whenever Charlie spoke of Marla, he spoke with love and reverence for her role in the family. He felt extremely lucky to have her in his life, and his friends and family are grateful that he did. Along with Marla, Charlie leaves behind three great children: Amy (18), Hayden (15) and Julia (13).
Finally, Charlie is survived by his sister, Susanna Rapp Mellor, and his father, Dr. Clyde Rapp ’60. Susanna was a student at Smith College when Charlie was a student at Amherst. As such, we were able to get to know Susanna and see what a warm and caring relationship she and her brother shared. It was really special for them to share the Pioneer Valley during those formative years. Charlie followed in his father’s footsteps at Amherst and in medicine. Charlie and his dad shared the same physical appearance and much of the same goofy sense of humor.
Charlie was good at staying in touch, visiting his old friends and joining new adventures. During and after Amherst, he was central part of numerous backpacking trips or other group get togethers. He was the catalyst for a recent renewal of an annual Amherst gathering, his ebullient energy blasting through each call or email. He spent these times and some of his family vacations seeing old friends. He was the only member of our group of close friends to visit each of our homes and families since Amherst. He always went the extra mile for his friends. That was Charlie.
He was always reaching out when he happened upon something that reminded him of someone. As recently as April this year, I received a text, “Hey, Rusty! Saw this and thought of you!” It was a list of fake Massachusetts names from a comedian. That was Charlie.
As always at Amherst gatherings, Charlie was always trying to squeeze in our old activities and memories to each gathering. At our 25th Reunion, we agreed to meet and run the Gristmill loop, an old standby from our cross-country and track days. This run was like all others with Charlie: He kept up the conversation incessantly, randomly jumping from topics of the moment to goofy jokes to fond memories, punctuated with that jovial laugh. We reached the baseball field and bid our farewells. As I climbed the stairs towards LeFrak to return to my family, I stole a glance back down onto the fields. Charlie was already near the class tent deeply engaged in conversation with a classmate I did not recognize, shirt over his shoulder, his laugh clearly discernable. That was Charlie.
Charlie will be missed and remembered by many as one of the most genuine and jovial people we knew. He will be remembered for his caring spirit, his dedication to his friends and his devotion to his family. He will be remembered for his goofy humor and his desire to share with everyone. We could all benefit by living each of our lives a little more like Charlie lived his. The world was a much better place for his presence and will be poorer without him.
Andrew Cleminshaw ’92, Russ Abell ’93, Doug Everhart ’93, Cliff Gallant ’93, David Gordon ’93, Jeffrey Trimarchi ’93, Kyle Yost ’93, Rob Bernstein ’94, Jeff Greenfield ’94, Steve Long ’94 and Zack Shandler ’94