RAPP, Eugen Friedrich

May 2, 1925 - April 13, 2019

Sadly, Eugen passed suddenly in his 93rd year, at the Juravinski Hospital. Beloved father of Gordon W. Rapp (Lyse Gagne) and grandfather of JeanNicolas (Julie) and of Marc-Andre and recent great-grandfather of Isabelle. Will also be missed by many of his relatives and friends in Germany and Austria and very close friends Anna and Vera in Canada.

Born in Eutigen, Baden, Germany, he served as a pilot until 1945 stationed mostly in Austria. He graduated in 1950 from University of Karisruhe as a Engineer of Technology and worked for Siemens in Germany as an electrical engineer. After he immigrated to Canada in 1951, he first worked up in Northern Ontario cutting trees. In early 1952 he became an employee of the Canadian Westinghouse Company (now Siemens) where he worked in the newly established Electronic Division of Canadian Westinghouse in the Engineering Department for National Defence Projects until 1967 when the project was abolished. Over the years he “rubbed shoulders” with the Honourable John Munro in the late 1960’s, specifically regarding the German-Canadian international pension agreement at the time when The Honourable John Munro was instrumental in bringing about the Canadian-German Pension Agreement in May 1972.

In 1967 he was elected Managing Secretary of the local Centennial Committee for German speaking Canadians. In that year (1967), Canada’s Centennial year, he was also instrumental in founding the first International Pension Office in Canada (Pensions International) for people who worked overseas and were entitled to receive those pensions in Canada. He considered this establishment his own personal contribution for the Centennial Celebration in honour of Canada. Since the establishment of Pensions International, he has helped thousands of Canadian landed immigrants obtain their government pensions from various European countries (esp. Germany) and in some cases even compensations for war victims. In 1972 he was appointed Pension Commissioner by the Provincial Government of Ontario.

From 1960 to 2008, he was also a free-lance writer for German language newspapers (i.e. Der Nordwesten, etc.) in Canada. As a hobby he wrote monthly articles for the monthly publication of Germania Club in Hamilton in the 1960’s and 1970’s as well as special historical booklets on German settlers in Ontario and Hamilton. He was the founder of the German Historical Society (Hamilton). For many years he was also an active member of the “Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre for Holocoust Studies”.

He missed his homeland and his friends and family there. He enjoyed his regular vacations in Germany and his many cruises in the tropics. He loved the sun. He can now lay to rest and join his ever-loved grandmother Emma (nee Augenstein) who died in 1958 at the age of 91 and who he spoke of for years. He will be remembered as a modest man of great integrity, someone whose kindness, compassion and generosity touched many.

In keeping with his wishes, cremation has taken place. A private family service will be held at a later date.

A special thanks to the doctors who have cared for him at Juravinski Hospital: Dr. Judith Seary, Dr. Saffie, Dr. Eshak, Dr. Shott and Cynthia Kandi (Soc. W.). He will be missed.