Florence (nee Bales) Rapaport

Florence (nee Bales) Rapaport

RAPAPORT: Florence (nee Bales) Rapaport, 97, of Riverdale, N.Y., on May 9, 2014. Beloved wife of the late Joseph Rapaport; devoted mother of Lise Rapaport (Seamus McCaffery) and the late David Rapaport; loving grandmother of Jill (Adam) Glist, Jonathan (Sarah) Rapaport and Cary Rapaport; doting great-grandmother of Saul and Lukas Glist and Fox Rapaport. Born in 1916 in Washington, Pa., Florence graduated from the MountRAPAPORT: Florence (nee Bales), 97, of Riverdale, N.Y., on May 9, 2014. Beloved wife of the late Joseph Rapaport; devoted mother of Lise Rapaport (Seamus McCaffery) and the late David Rapaport; loving grandmother of Jill (Adam) Glist, Jonathan (Sarah) Rapaport and Cary Rapaport; doting great-grandmother of Saul and Lukas Glist and Fox Rapaport. Born in 1916 in Washington, Pa., Florence graduated from the Mount de Chantal Academy in Wheeling, W.Va., which she had attended on a full music scholarship. She went on to study at the Juilliard School of Music from which she graduated in 1938. She and her late husband, who was born in Pittsburgh in 1919, met at the Irene Kauffman Settlement House and had their first date on Pearl Harbor Day. Florence taught piano for 75 years, teaching hundreds of students ranging in age from 4 to 74. Her greatest love was for her children and her grandchildren, and her great-grandchildren were the light of her life. Her passions were her music, her faith, flowers and chocolate, and she was devoted to the cause of worldwide peace. Her abiding humanitarianism and compassion were deep, all-encompassing and legendary, and her spirituality and generosity made her incandescent. She was laid to rest beside her beloved late husband and son at the Steven Wise Free Synagogue (Westchester Hills Cemetery) in Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either the Riverdale Mental Health Association, 5676 Riverdale Ave., Riverdale, NY 10471 or the Riverdale Temple, 4545 Independence Ave., Riverdale, NY 10471.

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