Daniel Dominick Rappa, Jr., age 78, of Newport, DE, passed away peacefully at home on January 30, 2023, surrounded by his family.

Daniel was born in Wilmington, DE to the late Gertrude (Russell) and Daniel D. Rappa, Sr. He was a proud resident of the Woodcrest community. As a youth, he attended St. Matthew's School and continued his education at Valley Forge Military Academy and Junior College. Additionally, he studied at Nebraska Wesleyan University and was a member of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity. Daniel worked in partnership with his father as a general contractor at Daniel D. Rappa, Inc. He was also the first president of the Newport Chamber of Commerce and a prominent member of the Greenhill Lions Club.

He enjoyed spending time with his children and their families. Daniel spent many weekends at the beach. He especially liked boating, crabbing, and fishing. He traveled extensively and some of his favorite places included Hawaii, Italy, and the Caribbean. He could often be found at Papa's Meat Market and the Acme, where he was considered a local celebrity. In his downtime, he loved watching Bonanza, Gunsmoke, and old cowboy movies. He was an expert storyteller and will be dearly missed by those closest to him.

Daniel is survived by his loving wife, Sherry; sons, Jeffrey Brown and Daniel Dominick Rappa, III (Louise); daughters, Valerie Rappa (Caridan) and Tami-Marie Gerber (R. Peter); grandchildren, Zaylie, Azura Grace, and Benjamin; brothers, Dominick, Albert, Joseph and John; and sisters, Gertrude Pfister (Bob) and Elizabeth Krapf. He has many loving nieces and nephews and was preceded in death by his sister, Patricia R. Cullen.

The family would like to thank his Christiana Care Palliative team, Accent Hospice, and Newport Fresenius Kidney Care. We are greatly appreciative of the many doctors that provided support for Daniel, especially Dr. C. Ianni and the medical staff at Lantana Square.

A visitation for Daniel will be held on Monday, February 6, 2023, at St. Matthew's Catholic Church, 901 E. Newport Pike, Wilmington, DE 19804, where friends and family may call from 10AM to 11AM, with a Mass of Christian Burial following at 11AM. Burial will be private.

The family asks, in lieu of flowers, to perform an act of kindness in his memory.