RAPP Connie Louise (nee Thiess) of Loveland, Ohio, passed away on June 5th at Hospice of Cincinnati following a year long battle with smoking related lung cancer, said her husband, John Rapp. She was 55. Mrs. Rapp was a native of North College Hill and the daughter of Albert A. Thiess, Sr. and Helen Louise Thiess, both now deceased. She is survived by her treasured daughter, Stefanie Louise Rapp, a senior at Loveland High School, her husband, John Rapp, and her brother and sister-in-law, Albert Thiess, Jr. and Willa L. Thiess, of Westport, CT. Mrs. Rapp was best known and loved by all who knew her for her bold personality, strong work ethic and ability to bring joy to all who dealt with her. It was this strong personality that would affect her throughout her business career. Following attendance at Miami University in Oxford, OH, Mrs. Rapp joined the Xerox Corporation where she had a 26 year long, successful career rising to become the District Controller in the Tri-State region. She left Xerox in 1995. Her years spent away from Cincinnati were all the result of transfers on behalf of Xerox and included Norfolk, VA, Rochester, NY, Washington D.C., Atlanta, GA, Stamford, CT, and Pittsburgh, PA, before returning back to Cincinnati. It was during her tour in Rochester that she met her future husband, John Rapp, a former pilot and current software sales executive. In 1987, Mrs. Rapp gave birth to their daughter, Stefanie Louise Rapp, now 17. Following her termination from Xerox in a corporate-wide downsizing, she again showed her strong willed, principled approach to life, instituting a wrongful termination and sexual discrimination lawsuit against Xerox. Her goal in this action was not monetary, but to demonstrate that a large company could not discriminate against any of its employees. After an intense, three year battle ending with a trial in Federal District Court in Cincinnati, she won a multi-million dollar verdict against Xerox, which at the time was the largest such verdict ever won for an individual employment related action in Cincinnati. After leaving Xerox, Connie started her own business, Connie's Accessories, and continued to devote herself to her daughter who is a senior at Loveland High School. Upon her return to Cincinnati in 1990, she reignited her former passion for the Bengals becoming a Sunday fixture at the Bengals tailgating scene with her husband, neighbors and friends. Decked out in Bengal's attire from head to toe, her tailgate parties started long before the games and lasted long after they were over, with the Marvin Lewis family as frequent visitors. As her illness entered its critical stages, she received the grateful support of many neighbors, family and friends. Family request that memorial donations may be made in memory of Connie Louise Rapp to the Hospice of Cincinnati, PO Box 710784, Cincinnati, OH 45271-0784 or to the American Cancer Society, 11117 Kenwood Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242-1817.