Robert D. RAPAPORT

1936 - 2017

RAPAPORT, Robert D.
Robert D. Rapaport passed away on Friday, January 27, 2017 in Palm Beach. He was 80. Bob was born November 7, 1936 to Irving and Stella Rapaport in New York. Bob Rapaport was a passionate entrepreneur and philanthropist. After graduating from Wharton and then Columbia with a Masters in Economics, he moved to Florida where he started in real estate. A visionary developer, who in the 1960's founded and built Century Village, the first condominium community in then-remote western Palm Beach County, Bob looked to revolutionize the concept of retirement for Americans. He went on to develop Sterling Village, Kings Point, Hampshire Gardens and several other communities, shopping centers, hotels, cable networks, and banks. In the 1980's he served as a Director of the Federal Reserve. While passing through Israel on his honeymoon, Bob settled into a second home in Jerusalem. Visiting Israel every year since then, he pursued his passion for Jewish life with his philanthropy. Bob was the former Founder and Chairman of the Jewish Community Center, Founder and Chairman of the Jewish Arts Foundation, President and Chairman of Temple Beth El, and President of the Jewish Federation of the Palm Beaches. In addition, he was a Director and Vice-President of the United Synagogue of America, Director of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America, and Publisher of the Jewish World. Bob was a voracious reader and had an insatiable curiosity. On the rare moments when he would read an unfamiliar word, he would study the dictionary and find ten new vocabulary words to digest. As a jet pilot, one of Bob's great passions was flying. He logged over 40 years of flying in various aircraft. When at 40,000 feet, he was often fond of saying, "we're just schlepping along at 500 mph". As ferocious as Bob was in pursuing his goals, his integrity was unwavering. His word carried the weight of a signed contract. In business, he kept partners for decades. When former colleagues or friends needed help, Bob lent a hand graciously. Using a large staple of jokes, Bob insisted that he didn't get "a" haircut; instead he got "them all" cut. As an eternal optimist, Bob wore a smile with his strong sense of purpose, making him charming and kind. Above all, Bob Rapaport was a devoted family man. He is survived by his adoring wife of 38 years, Cobey Rapaport; his daughter Elisa Rapaport and her husband Michael Schoenbaum; his son Fred Rapaport and his wife Lori; his son Jeffrey Rapaport and his wife Laura; his daughter Tali Rapaport and her husband Nicholas Josefowitz; and 8 grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother Myron Rapaport and his wife Barbara. Memorial Donations may be made to the Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) 57 West 57th Street, Suite 904, New York, NY 10019 (www.alzdiscovery.org). The funeral will be held on Sunday at 10:00AM at Temple Beth-EL, 2815 North Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach. Shiva will be held Sunday evening from 5:30PM to 8:00PM at the Palm Beach Country Club, 760 North Ocean Blvd, Palm Beach.
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