Mary Elizabeth Rapp
Feb. 6, 1924-Oct. 15, 2016
Menlo Park, California
Submitted by Donna Rapp

On October 15, 2016, Mary Elizabeth (McDonald) Rapp passed away peacefully at the age of 92 at home surrounded by family. Mary, with her husband of 52 years Thomas Hilton Rapp (deceased), raised her family and lived most of her life in Menlo Park, California. In 2015, when her health began to decline, she moved to her daughter and son-In-law’s home in Monmouth, Oregon.

Mary was a strong and uncompromising woman with an indomitable spirit. When her children were young, she was active in PTA and a children’s theatre group. She, and husband Tom, took up tennis in their 40s establishing a tennis club at the Sacred Heart Menlo School. A homemaker most of her life, at age 60 she received her real estate license and sold homes into her early 80s.

Born in Illinois, Mary lived briefly in Pennsylvania, then moved to California with her family -- her father, William Breen McDonald, and mother, Lucille (Bourgeois) McDonald, sister Virginia (McDonald) Robb and brother Bill McDonald (all deceased).

Mary earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was also a Sigma Kappa Sorority member.

Mary’s signature passions were tennis, bridge, Ferragamo shoes, orchids and fine jewelry. She was a mean domino player, an avid reader and a welcoming hostess.

Mary will be remembers as a devoted friend, and dedicated wife and mother. She will be forever missed.

Mary and Tom had four children, James Hilton Rapp of Portland, Oregon, Bruce McDonald Rapp (deceased), Donna Elizabeth Rapp of Calgary, Canada, and Kathy Rapp Myers of Monmouth, Oregon. Her three grandchildren are Thomas Maxim Rapp, Hawkeye Cody Hoffman and Renata Fox Rapp.

Sunday, December 11, 2016 -- a Mass of Intention will be said in Mary’s honor at the 11:30 a.m. service at St. Denis Catholic Church, 2250 Avy Ave., Menlo Park. Following the Mass, family and friends are invited to gather for a memorial reception from 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. in the Siena/Carrara Room at the Weston Palo Alto, 675 El Camino Real, Palo Alto.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Menlo Park Library Foundation (www.foundationmpl.org) or St. Denis Church, 2250 Avy Ave., Menlo Park, California 94025