John A. Lapp

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John A. Lapp died December 5, 2023 at the Maples at Waterford Crossing in Goshen, Indiana. He was 90 years old.

John Allen Lapp was born on March 15, 1933 in Lansdale, PA to John E. Lapp and Edith Nyce Lapp. John’s parents strongly supported education for their nine children. John Allen, the eldest, set the pace for his eight younger siblings, proving adept in school from an early age. John always had a passion for history, moving on from Kulpsville Elementary School to Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, VA and then to Eastern Mennonite College (now, “University”). He graduated with a B.A. in History in 1954, followed by marriage to his college sweetheart, Mary Alice Weber, from Lititz, PA.

With the Korean War draft still in place, John and Alice moved to Cleveland, OH where he fulfilled his 1-W alternative service assignment as a hospital orderly. While in Cleveland, Alice taught school, and John worked on his Masters Degree in History at Case Western Reserve University. After he completed service, and with M.A. in hand, he returned to teach at EMU and began work on a Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in British Empire. His doctoral dissertation, completed in 1965, was entitled “The Mennonite Church in India” and was published in 1972 by Mennonite Publishing House.

John’s interest in 20th century religious and cultural movements was intense and he was soon offering his view of current political and social events to the Mennonite Church via monthly columns in the church magazine, “Christian Living.” Among important issues sparking his attention was the civil rights movement -- John and several friends took time to participate in the landmark “March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom” in 1963.

Three children joined the young family: John F., Jennifer and Jessica. Along with careers and social/academic activities outside the home, John and Alice gave ample attention to their children, taking them on trips throughout the United States, and frequently to the family homesteads in Pennsylvania.

In 1969 John accepted an invitation to lead Mennonite Central Committee’s (MCC) Peace Section and the family moved to Akron, PA. John began what became lifelong frequent international travel. In 1972, he accepted an invitation to become Academic Dean at Goshen College, in Goshen, Indiana. During his 1972-1984 tenure as Dean, and later Provost, John built deep friendships with Goshen’s faculty and staff. He continued traveling, both internationally in support of GC’s nascent international education program, and nationally as an accreditation committee member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. He also published two additional books in the late 70s and early 80s, with chapters largely drawn from his magazine columns.

In 1985, John again accepted appointment at MCC, now as its fourth Executive Secretary.

He and Alice continued traveling, even after retirement in 1996. The couple concluded their MCC assignment serving with the organization in Kolkata, India.

In retirement, John led a Mennonite World Conference project known as the Mennonite Global History Project. He fundraised and supervised an international team that ultimately produced five separate published volumes on Africa, Europe, Latin America, Asia and North America.

As this work was winding down, John and Alice returned to Goshen, Indiana. From 2011 they lived at Waterford Crossing. Upon Alice’s death in 2022, John moved to health care.

John is survived by children: John F. (Sandra Shenk) Lapp, Jennifer Lapp Lerch (Robert A.), Jessica Lapp (Philip Hertzler); grandchildren: Sophie Lapp Jost (David Jost), Sarah Lerch (Stefan Kuhns), Robert T. Lerch, Eva Lapp (Sam Smucker), John Ethan Lapp, James Nicholas Hertzler; and two great-grandchildren: Timothy Clement Lapp Jost and Morgan Amelia Lerch Kuhns. Also surviving are siblings Mary Swartley, James, Daniel, Joseph, Sara Kolb, Ruth Lapp Guengerich and Rhoda Lapp. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife of 67 years, Alice, and brother Samuel.

Visitation will be from 3 to 6 p.m., March 16, 2023 at Yoder-Culp Funeral Home.

A memorial service in celebration of John’s life will be held Sunday, March 17, 2023 at 3 p.m. at College Mennonite Church, Goshen, IN.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to College Mennonite Church, Mennonite Central Committee, Goshen College or Eastern Mennonite University.