Obituary of James D. Rappis

Was born to eternal life on Sunday, September 29, 2013 at the age of 85. Jim was born in the Town of Pewaukee on April 30, 1928, the son of Samuel and Jeanette (Ryan) Rappis. As a young man, he participated in many sports - skiing, basketball and baseball with the Land of Lakes League. He was a devoted fan of the Chicago White Sox and was invited by the Sox to report to their training camp in 1951. Unfortunately, he never got the opportunity because he was drafted to serve his country in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. Jim was united in marriage on October 17, 1953, to Julie Ann Rich. He was in business with his in-laws for many years, operating Rich's Cambrian House and Rich's Pizza. Jim had been a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church and the Holy Name Society. For the past forty years he has been a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church. Jim enjoyed all outdoor sports, big game hunting and fishing across the US and Canada. He particularly loved pheasant hunting with his canine buddies, Coke and Hershey. He also enjoyed traveling to numerous championship sporting events, visiting all fifty states and many countries abroad. He was known for his uncanny knowledge of sports, affectionately being called the "sports guru" by many of his friends who called to ask about sports stats. He was a founding member of the Waukesha Lake and Woods Club and a member of the Wern Valley Hunting Club. As much as Jim loved hunting, he loved his family more and truly enjoyed spending time with them. His greatest joy in life was sharing with others the accomplishments of his children. His legacy to them was a life well lived. James is survived by his loving wife of 60 years, Julie, who will miss him dearly. He was a caring, loving and thoughtful companion. He was the proud father of James Michael Rappis of Waukesha and Jill Mary Rappis of Chicago, IL; brothers and sisters, Georgia (Stanley) Catarozoli; Marlene (James) Dudkiewicz; Thomas (Sally) Rappis; Lauran Robinson and Merry Strohm. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Jeanette Rappis and by a brother-in-law, Leslie Strohm. The visitation for James will be held on Saturday, October 5, 2013 from 9:30 a.m. until the 11:30 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial at St. Mary's Catholic Church, 225 S. Hartwell Avenue, Waukesha, WI. 53186. The Reverend Howard Haase will be officiating. Interment will take place at St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in honor of Jim may be given to St. Mary's Catholic Church, (Please see address above). Cesarz, Charapata & Zinnecker Funeral Home, Cremation and Pre-Planning Services are serving the family. For the online obituary or to leave a condolence, please visit www.WaukeshasFuneralHome.com, or call 262-