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Wednesday, July 23, 2003 |
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Dan Tappel, 40, touched
many lives |
Mr. Tappel |
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MONTGOMERY - Dan Tappel knew what was important. He coached his kids in soccer this spring, even though he was terribly ill with bile duct cancer. "He was always the guy who was the fair-play guy, and not win-at-all-cost," said his wife, Laurie. He tried "to make sure everybody had their chance in the sun. He would go head-to-head a lot with the parents that thought we should be winning - (that) it was important at the grade-school level. It truly wasn't." More than 800 people came to All Saints Church Monday to mourn Mr. Tappel. The Montgomery resident died July 17 at Hospice of Cincinnati in Blue Ash. He was 40. "He touched so many lives," his wife said. "Everybody he met he was genuinely interested in." Born in St. Louis in 1962, Mr. Tappel moved with his family to Greater Cincinnati when he was 10. A member of the Moeller High School class of 1980, he played on some of the school's first soccer teams. It was a sport he loved. He met Laurie when they were both students at the University of Dayton. "We picked up golf when we were students," she said. "It's always been this huge love for him." They married the year after Mr. Tappel received a bachelor's degree from UD in 1984. He went on to receive an MBA from the University of Cincinnati in 1988. For the past three years he had worked in software sales for Engineering Methods Inc. in Blue Ash. Mr. Tappel coached all three of his children at the instructional level for the Soccer Association for Youth soccer teams and was even able to co-coach the Sycamore Arsenal this spring despite his illness. He served as president of the All Saints Boosters in 1999-2000. "We ended up joining O'Bannon Golf Club four years ago," his wife said. "He knew he wasn't going to make it to retirement. "One of his remarks when he knew his cancer was terminal was, 'I'll never get to play Augusta.' And so all these people tried to come together to make it happen so he could at least go down there and see it. "Lucent Corp. donated tickets and lodging for he and my father to go to the Masters (Golf Tournament in Augusta, Ga.) this spring. It was a lifelong dream." In addition to Lauren Bastian Tappel, his wife of 18 years, survivors include two daughters, Kristen and Kelly; and a son, Tom, all at home; his parents, Ed and Jan Tappel of Montgomery; four brothers, Ed Tappel of Marietta, Ohio, John Tappel of Anchorage, Ala., Jim Tappel of Kalamazoo, Mich., and Dick Tappel of Denver; and two sisters, Janet Dorger of Indianapolis and Mary Dierker of Cleveland. Mr. Tappel's remains were cremated and will be interred at Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Montgomery. Memorials: Dan Tappel Children's Fund, c/o any Fifth Third Bank branch.
E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com |
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| original: http://www.enquirer.com/editions/2003/07/23/loc_ledeobit23.html | ||
