Brian J. Rapp

Brian was born November 7, 1955, in Warren, PA, a son of Galen and Shirley Swanson Rapp.

After graduating from Jamestown High School in 1974 he went on to study engineering at Jamestown Community College and Rochester Institute of Technology. He later earned a master’s degree from California State University at Long Beach.

Brian spent his entire career with McDonald Douglas / Boeing / United Launch Alliance (ULA),working in both Huntington Beach, CA and Denver, CO. Brian worked in the Delta Rocket program for most of his career and was lead on the wind tunnel testing of the giant Delta 2 launch vehicle at the wind tunnel near Modane, France.

He was an avid bicyclist and met his wife, Claire, at the Orange County Wheelmen Club. He rode in many races and events including four entries in the prestigious Paris-Brest-Paris brevet,which is a 750-mile bike event in France.

Brian volunteered at the Fenton History Center and was a member of the Thule Lodge Swedish Folk Dance Team. He was also a passionate amateur genealogist. He was a member of the Swedish Genealogy Society of Colorado and attended the annual Workshops of the Swedish American Genealogical Society, held each fall in Salt Lake City.

Brian is survived by his loving wife Claire (Hanley) whom he married in 1993; two stepchildren Sarah (David) Kreidler of Montclair, NJ and Nick (Allegra Abramo) Zajchowski of Seattle, WA; two grandchildren, Finn and Lilly Kreidler, and his brother Charles “Chip” Rapp of Jamestown.

A time of visitation will be held from 3-5 pm Friday in the Lind Funeral Home followed by a celebration of life at 5 pm.

Memorials may be made to Fenton History Center, 67 Washington St., Jamestown, NY 14701.

You may leave words of condolence at www.lind funeralhome.com.