Steve "Rap" Rapagnani

Steven Gerard Rapagnani, 68, of Springfield, Missouri passed away Friday, August 8, 2025. The youngest of eight children, he was born March 16, 1957, in St, Johnsbury, Vermont, the son of Nazareno Rapagnani and Marie Weingartner. He attended Springfield Catholic in Springfield, Missouri and went on to graduate with a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering and a master's in engineering management from the University of Missouri Rolla. He was preceded in death by his parents, Nazareno and Marie, and his sisters Margaret Rapagnani, Angela Graham, and Pat Guyer. He is survived by his three daughters Nicole (Adam), Jessica (Eric), and Michelle (Ryan), four grandchildren, his brother Larry (Phyllis) Rapagnani, his sisters Audrey (Ray) Schwegler, Mary (Doug) Meador, and Debby (Jim) Adkins, and countless nieces and nephews. A lifelong learner, he loved figuring out how things worked and making them more efficient, Italian food, black coffee, reading, hot air balloons, puzzles, traveling, the outdoors, and gardening. He built a remarkable career in engineering and operations, where his strategic leadership and commitment to excellence left an indelible mark. A certified Six Sigma Black Belt and thought leader in other quality improvement methodologies to include TQM (Total Quality Management), Lean, and Kaizen, he was known for transforming complex challenges into optimal solutions. He drove innovation across multiple industries, yet his proudest titles were "dad", "paps", and "nonno". For the last few years, he has loved being a part of a men's Bible study. He was eager to absorb all he could in learning about Jesus. He loved and was so proud of his daughters. He adored his grandkids. After a career in engineering management and consulting, he recently returned to Springfield, where he was so excited to reconnect with family and friends from high school and his time working at Dayco. His legacy lives on in the laughter of his grandchildren, the strength of his daughters and siblings, and the countless lives he touched through his work and friendship. He is and always will be greatly missed. A memorial service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Saturday, August 16, 2025 at the Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations in Steve's name may be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, which supports the pulmonary research team he was working with at Washington University, as a reflection of his commitment to improving lives and building a better world. Steve was known to always say, and we promise to continue: "keep your nose to the grindstone" and "Carpe Diem".