By Mary Giles, SVdP Indy Volunteer
“You’ll never guess where I am,” Pat said to Cynthia Coleman in her familiar, bright and breezy way. “I’m in the ICU!” Even from a hospital bed, amidst the beeping monitors and the voices of doctors and nurses, she was still thinking of others—making sure every shift for the SVdP Indianapolis Helpline was covered and ensuring that those in need would not go unheard. That was Pat. Tireless, selfless and utterly devoted to serving others.
Pat was a force of nature—unstoppable, unwavering and fiercely dedicated. She trained new volunteers, re-trained seasoned ones, recruited, problem-solved, and tackled both small hurdles and overwhelming challenges with equal determination. When SVdP Indy transitioned to Servware, she poured her heart and soul into making it a success, because for Pat, efficiency wasn’t about convenience—it was about making sure no one was left behind. The hungry, the cold, the forgotten—these were the people she worried about the most. She saw the gaps in the system and fought to fill them. She wasn’t just part of the mission—she was the mission.
A wise man once said, “Your service is as deep as your love.” By that measure, Pat’s love was infinite. She wasn’t just a helper; she was a caretaker of souls. If someone was sick and needed a warm meal, Pat was there. If a family was moving and needed extra hands, she was already rolling up her sleeves. She never waited to be asked—she just knew when someone needed her, and she showed up, time and time again. Her generosity was not just a gesture; it was the very essence of who she was.
Now, our Lord has called Pat home, and it takes at least three people to do the work she did so effortlessly. But though she has left our sight, her spirit is woven into the very fabric of the community she served. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” was not just a verse to her—it was the creed she lived by. To Pat, there were no “bad people,” no one unworthy of kindness. There were only two kinds of people: those in need and those with the power to help.
She prayed not just with words, but with her hands and feet—hands that reached out to lift others up and feet that moved swiftly to meet them where they were. Patricia Ann Forler Rapp is not gone; she lives on in every act of kindness, in every life she touched, in every heart that carries forward her legacy of love. As we move forward without her physical presence, may we honor her by following her example—by loving, serving and never turning away from those in need.
Rest in peace, dear Pat. Your work here is done, but your love will never fade.
