William Harry Rapf ’68

William Harry Rapf ’68 died April 3 of pancreatic cancer. Born August 17, 1946, in Los Angeles to Maurice and Louise (Seidel) Rapf, Bill came to Dartmouth from Riverdale Country School in New York City. Bill also earned degrees from San Francisco State and Boston University. He taught high school art, photography, and pottery in Amherst, New Hampshire, for 40 years, and from 1992 until retirement in 2008 taught at Souhegan, a unique school he helped plan and build. An avid sailor and vice commodore of Dartmouth’s sailing team, Bill spent many years racing. In 2012 he joined classmates Lee Reichart and Rich DuMoulin sailing Rich’s 37-foot boat to New York after the Newport Bermuda Race. With Lee out of commission from broken ribs, Bill’s quick thinking and sailing skill prevented the boat from sinking amid 15-foot waves during a gale. At Dartmouth Bill met Candace Griffin, a Mary Hitchcock nursing student, on a blind date arranged by DuMoulin. They married in 1971 and had son Kevin. They moved to Amherst and purchased a circa 1835 farmhouse that was a wreck. Bill put his carpentry, masonry, electrical, and plumbing skills to work rebuilding an energy-efficient, comfortable home they loved. There, Bill passed away with Candace and Kevin by his side. He lived with quiet competence and humility, and his final request was that family and friends remember him “by taking some tangible action against social injustice, climate change, and income inequality.”