VOORHEESVILLE — Virginia (née Rauch) Rapant died at home on Sunday, Dec. 26, 2021, after struggling three years with ovarian cancer and its side effects. She was 70.

Born on Sept. 24, 1951 in Voorheesville, she grew up in the village as an active member of the community. “Virginia was an avid pianist, skier, runner, swimmer, writer, and thespian throughout her primary and secondary years,” her family wrote in a tribute, “graduating as the salutatorian of the Voorheesville Central School Class of 1969. 

“A lover of languages, she majored in German and international law at Cornell in Ithaca, New York, including a study year abroad in Austria. Virginia experienced great joy and heartache during those years that shaped her outlook on life significantly.

“After graduating in 1974, she went to Law School in Syracuse for two years, which led to her career as an administrative assistant, legal secretary, and paralegal for university departments, nonprofits, and law firms for 30 years, retiring in 2019 from Conway and Kirby in Delmar, New York.

“Virginia met Larry Rapant, her husband of 41 years, in Syracuse when he came into Hendrix Chapel Coffee Shop where she was working. He ordered a life-changing cup of coffee and, unable to resist her smile, asked her out for dinner. About a year later, they married on Nov. 15, 1980 in Syracuse.

“Since then, they traveled where Larry’s teaching career took them, including Syracuse, Boston, Iowa City, Montpelier, and Schoharie before life came full circle and brought them home to Voorheesville where Larry retired from Empire State College. Throughout her life, Virginia stayed close to her parents, her siblings, and their families, and was an integral part in their lives.

“Virginia and Larry enjoyed walking along the Erie Canal and other waterways, as well as jogging and generally enjoying nature wherever they lived. They enjoyed international films, a pastime they began in their early days in Syracuse.

“Larry fondly remembers the personal concerts Virginia performed by touring the pianos located throughout the many buildings and departments in Syracuse University during their years there. They continued to enjoy live classical music concerts, and were regular subscribers of the Schenectady Symphony Orchestra.

“Virginia loved snow, birds, deer, and reading with her husband on the front lawn. She kept her love of the German language alive through a regular subscription to a German paper, and would translate particularly interesting articles for her husband.

“Virginia and Larry also played a significant role in their great niece’s and nephew’s lives, through weekly visits and a variety of experiences. Virginia is treasured by her family and friends, for whom she was and is a constant inspiration. 

“She was one of those rare people who saw the people around her as they are and had the patience to take the time to truly know them. Virginia dedicated several years of her life to supporting her mother, Jane Elizabeth (née Coughtry) Rauch, during her own struggle with cancer, which eventually ended in 2013.”

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Virginia Rapant is survived by her husband, Larry Rapant; by her siblings and their spouses, Henry and Dorothy Rauch of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Carol and Peter Bromley of Eden, North Carolina; by her nieces, Denise Rauch of Reno, Nevada, Heidi Bromley of Schenectady, Heather Bromley of Eden, North Carolina, and Holly (and Kevin) Barker of Reidsville, North Carolina; and by her cherished great-niece Rachel Newman and great-nephew Roger Christman, both of Schenectady. She is also survived by several cousins and their families.

Her family is planning an intimate celebration of her life at a later date.

Memorial messages may be left at www.altamontenterprise.com/milestones.

“We wish all those reading this to take the time to truly listen to those who love you, to know them as they are and cherish them,” her family wrote. “This is the best way possible to memorialize Virginia, to extend her influence and her gift to this world.”