The Tragedy Which Affected All
Mitch's Death
The following article appeared in the "Rochester Jewish Ledger" on June 4, 1937:
Sudden Death Takes Mitchell Rappaport, Teacher at Franklin
Death unexpectedly cut short the promising career of Mitchell Rappaport, 27, a Rochester teacher who only a few weeks ago won a $1,000 fellowship at Columbia University's Teachers' College. He was a member of the Benjamin Franklin High School faculty. He died of pneumonia in his home, 39 Thayer Street, following a two-day illness. Born in Rochester, he was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Rappaport. After grammar school he attended Washington Junior High School and East High School, editing the high school year book. He won Phi Beta Kappa rating and important scholarships at Cornell University from where he was graduated in 1931. He came to Benjamin Franklin High School as an English teacher that year, and later took absence leave for work for his master's degree. Returning, he served as faculty advisor for the Franklin High School students' weekly, "The Courant". The Columbia Teachers' College fellowship was awarded only this month and he had planned another leave of absence to work for his doctor's degree in education. Besides his parents, he leaves a wife, Mrs. Ruth Rappaport; two brothers, Louis H. of New York City and Erle, of Rochester; two sisters, the Misses Pearl of Washington and Ethel Rappaport, of Rochester. The funeral was from Nusbaum Funeral Home, 271 University Avenue Sunday afternoon, with burial in Stone Road Cemetery. Arrangements were by Nusbaum.
Mitch was a unique person and his death had a crushing effect on the family, not because he was the first in the family to die but because he was such an extraordinary person. His death was felt more by the older family members, but all of us suffered a tremendous loss. He was a man of such great promise; he was talented and funny and kind and gentle. His parents and each of his brothers and sisters knew he was special. Mitch had specific individual relationships with each of us, each of us was important to him. He was a wonderful friend and brother, and we knew that we didn't have enough time together.
Lou and Mitch were only fifteen months apart so that on a school level they were together much of the time. Mitch was so bright that he was doubly promoted (skipped a grade) a few times, and so in high school they were in the same French class, for example. Lou would study hard for his B+ whereas Mitch, with his fine mind, got an A without trying. Lou says that in his lifetime he has known two geniuses: one of them was Mitch.
Mom never really got over Mitch's death, she was devas- tated by it. There seemed to be a personality change in her. She was more subdued, and she could often be seen to weep, without apparent cause. Her health seemed to deteriorate from that time; she suffered from high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis. She died on Gorham St in 1946.
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