Another loss

This week I learned of the death of another friend: Robb Lapp, who lived in Arvada, CO. Robb (full name: The Rev. Robinson Lapp) was a seminary classmate, Class of 1957 at Chicago Theological Seminary. He was a member of an informal group of guys who fixed our meals in a rough, basement kitchen at CTS - Robb, Clyde Miller, Don Sevetson, Bill Hobbs, Paige Birdwell and myself. I am now the only one still alive. Robb and I attended our 50th reunion in 2007, and we were the only ones there from Class of '57. There were others there from other classes, so we were not alone, but it was sobering to be just the two of us. I don't think there was a 60th reunion as such. This year will be the 65th! I think all graduations are now held on Zoom. I saw quite a bit of Robb when I was Pastor-in-Residence at CTS, 1999-2001 and living at the seminary. By then, Robb was a member of the Board of Trustees, and a lot of things were happening which brought him to the seminary from Colorado. Robb did not pursue a typical parish ministry. Pretty early on, he got interested in low-income public housing, and eventually: "he organized and led the Metro Denver Fair Housing Center. Later, in helping create the New Town of The Woodlands in Texas, a HUD Title 10 New Community near Houston, Lapp developed New Town’s governance, schools, municipal services and health care facilities. After returning to Colorado, Lapp mentored the creation of businesses that provided equal employment opportunities for women. In his mid-60s, Lapp co-organized and is still an active leader of Archway Housing and Services, Inc., a Colorado faith-based nonprofit partner of the UCC’s Rocky Mountain Conference. Archway builds low-income housing and provides social assistance for marginalized community members. Archway has completed and operates 11 multi-family projects containing 641 apartments, while its social service programs include ESL classes, employment counseling, food banks, after-school tutoring and activity programming for children." He was awarded the CTS Honorary Alumnus Award last year. Ellen and I visited him, his wife Jan, and great-granddaughter, Aubrey, at their home in Arvada, and also went with him to the church he attended in Boulder, CO during the time we were caring for Betsey. He and I also went together to the dedication of the new CTS building - he had just had surgery back then and needed an arm to lean on. We actually stayed together at my brother, Stewart's apartment in Elgin, to save the cost of a hotel in Chicago for that event. So, we've done a lot together. I have seen him regularly on CTS Wednesday Reflections Zoom sessions during the past year, as recently as a couple of weeks ago, so I was shocked to learn he had died. I later learned he died of complications following shoulder surgery. That's the reason I have not pursued getting a shoulder replacement - which has been recommended for me! I have heard too many stories about people my age not surviving shoulder surgery.

Robinson Lapp (March 27, 1933 - May 6, 2022). Twenty-five days younger than I am!