David L. Clapp

David Leland Clapp, age 82, was born May 25, 1943, in Indianapolis, Indiana to Leland Quayle Clapp and Margaret Elizabeth (Walker) Clapp. He went to be with his Lord on December 31, 2025. He died at home after a short but fierce battle with Cancer. David graduated from Thomas Carr Howe High School in Indianapolis in 1961. He graduated with a Spanish Major from Indiana University in 1965 during which time he studied abroad and lived for a year with a host family in Lima, Peru. It was a huge influence on his life. He later received a Master’s Degree in Latin American Studies from Indiana University.

He married Roberta Jean Bandy on July 8, 1978, and they were blessed with two children.

David taught Spanish for four different high schools in Indiana during a 25-year high school teaching career. He then moved toward helping people coming to the U.S. by working with refugees and their families in the IPS School District. Eventually college level work called him to work with study abroad students and international students beginning with Indiana State University, Butler University and Wabash College.

David loved baseball in his youth. He was proud to be a switch-hitter like his idol, Micky Mantle. He played baseball as a young boy and continued in high school and a bit in college. He later coached a team at Plymouth, Indiana (where he was undefeated as the J-V coach for one season!) and was the assistant coach at John Marshall High School. He loved the Yankees and became a huge fan of Cincinnati’s “Big Red Machine” and followed the Indianapolis Indians his whole life. Meeting Razor Shines last summer was a highlight and something he really enjoyed.

As an adult his passion became researching his family tree. He was quite successful at tracking down ancestors and most lines of his family. He was able to trace back to the 1600’s here in the U.S. His retirement years were spent at home doing family research, reading, studying history, and hanging out with his family and his dog, Quinn.

He is predeceased by his parents Leland and Margaret and his son Matthew Alexander Clapp who died in 2022.

He is survived by his wife of 47 years Roberta “Bobbie” Bandy Clapp and his daughter Sarah Elizabeth Clapp and her fiancé Christopher Cason who he has grown to love like a son. He is also survived by his daughter-in-law Bethany Clapp and granddaughter Olivia Lynn Clapp. His brother Thomas Walker Clapp and wife Laura Zolad Clapp live in Minnesota and have 3 children Drew, Elizabeth, and Jonathan who have blessed them with 8 grandchildren.

There will be visitation at Speedway Baptist Church on Moller Road in Speedway Indiana 10:30-12:30 with a Memorial Service at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 14th. Burial will be at Washington Park East Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations may be made to: Exodus Refugee at Exodusrefugee.org, or Olivia Clapp’s College Fund, at ugift529.com using Gift Code: H4L-B5D.