Carole Ann Rapp of St. Louis Missouri passed away on Sunday, August 30, 2026 at age of ninety-one. She was the fifth child born to Eugene Baird Sr. (Gene) and Elizabeth Mary (Betty) (nee Kreutzmann) on March 20, 1935, in St. Louis, Missouri.

Mass of Christian Burial is 10:00 a.m. Thursday, September 10, 2026 at St. Clement of Rome Catholic Church in Des Peres, Missouri. Interment will be in Calvery Catholic Cemetery. 

Carole was born and raised in St. Louis where she attended Our Lady of Presentation in grade school and Incarnate Word Academy high school class of 1953.

She is survived by her children:

· Kathleen Jeanine Rapp is a resident of Festus, Missouri

· Vincent Gerard Rapp a resident of St. Charles, Missouri

· Richard Eugene Rapp (Sonja Edelmann) a resident of Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

· Mary Francis Rapp resident of Bellevue, Nebraska

· Carole Ann (Rapp) Fuchser (Randall Fuchser) a resident of Columbus, Nebraska

· Also survived by her 12 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Gene and Betty, her sister and brothers, Mary Elizabeth (Betty) Husmann (nee Sydnor), Eugene Baird Sydnor Jr., John Joseph (Jack) Sydnor and Robert Jerome (Bobby) Sydnor.

She was preceded in death by her husband Donald Reinhold Rapp November 3, 2017; Son Timothy Reinhold Rapp on March 5, 2020.

She married Donald Reinhold Rapp on October 9, 1954.

After getting married Carole was a longtime parishioner at St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in South County, St. Louis. While raising 6 kids, Carole returned to school and graduated from nursing school in 1972. Her first nursing position was at Nazareth Living Center in south St. Louis County, operated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, where she cared for retired and infirm sisters.

In 1979, Carole moved with her family to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where she worked in hospital-based psychiatric care, offering compassion and support to individuals living with mental illness. In 1982, she joined the nursing staff at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge.

She later served as a nurse at the National Leprosarium at Carville, Louisiana, later known as the Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center. Located about 20 miles south of Baton Rouge, Carville was one of the nation's few hospitals dedicated specifically to the care of patients with Hansen's disease, historically known as leprosy.

In 2001, Carole worked in Evansville, Indiana, caring for retired sisters of the Poor Clare monastery. She served as both a nurse and driver, helping the sisters with their nursing needs and providing transportation wherever they needed to go. She eventually left this work to help care for her grandchildren and, shortly thereafter, retired. She moved to Chicago Illinois to be close to her daughter and family for over 20 years. The final move was with family to the state of Nebraska.

Throughout her nursing career, Carole cared for others with compassion, dignity, and a deep commitment to serving those most in need.

Carole enjoyed the cultural arts, especially visiting museums, attending performances at the St. Louis Muny, and listening to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. She had a deep appreciation for American history and the history and traditions of the Catholic Church. She also found great joy in spending time at the Missouri Botanical Garden, admiring its beautiful flowers, majestic trees, and unique plant collections. She loved cooking for her family and for the people she cared about, finding joy in bringing everyone together around the table. She also made it a priority to introduce her children to the arts, history, and the beauty of St. Louis through visits to the St. Louis Muny, the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the Jewel Box in Forest Park, the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and many other treasured places. Even to the very end, she was more concerned about others than herself. She cared deeply for their comfort, well-being, and safety, and gently encouraged everyone she met to trust in God and remain faithful.

Donations: In Lieu of flowers, In memory of Carole Rapp the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in St. Louis. Website: https://svdpstlouis.org