Phyllis Joan Rappeport was born on February 19, 1929, in the New York City borough of Queens where she grew up as a child. She passed away unexpectedly in her Kalamazoo, Michigan, home on January 9, 2020, at the age of 90.

WMU School of Music Director Bradley Wong writes: “Phyllis, of course, was a superb artist and master teacher. But her greatest contribution to our program was her passion for collaboration. Whether performing in a chamber music ensemble, coaching students in any of the performance areas, serving as liaison to some community activity, or participating in faculty governance, she was engaged and dynamic. Phyllis was the heart and soul of the School of Music, and this did not end when she retired from WMU.”

A memorial service is being planned for Saturday, February 1, at 10 a.m. in the Dalton Center Recital Hall at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo. A full obituary can be found at the link below.