Samuel Rappaport, 83, former Pa. legislator

Samuel Rappaport, 83, of Philadelphia, a lawyer, ward leader, and seven-term Pennsylvania state legislator, died Monday, Feb. 8, of dementia at Lions Gate, a retirement community in Voorhees.

Mr. Rappaport served as a committeeman in Center City's Fifth Ward for more than 40 years and as the ward's elected leader for 15 years, starting in 1991.

He was elected as a Democrat to the Pennsylvania House for the 1971 term, and served six consecutive terms in the 182nd Legislative District before being unseated by Babette Josephs in 1984.

Mr. Rappaport, who lived in Center City for many years, was often mistaken for Samuel A. Rappaport, a Philadelphia real estate speculator, who died in 1994. They were not related.

Steeped in politics by Peter J. Camiel, his predecessor in the Fifth Ward, Mr. Rappaport acted as ward chairman and effectively ran the ward for Camiel while the latter battled lung cancer. When Camiel, the last of the city's old-time Democratic Party bosses, died in 1991, Mr. Rappaport assumed control of the ward.

"I learned a lot about the rough and tumble of Philadelphia politics by working with Sam," said Mike Boyle, who replaced Mr. Rappaport as ward leader in 2006. "He was well-respected by his fellow ward leaders and by the many candidates whom he helped elect. He provided wise counsel to me in my early years as ward leader."

Born in the city, Mr. Rappaport graduated from Central High School. He earned a bachelor's degree from Temple University in 1954 and a law degree from Columbia University in 1957.

He served in the Army's Third Infantry Division from 1957 to 1959, then launched his career as a lawyer and politician.

He was a member of the Fifth Ward Democratic Executive Committee and a delegate to Pennsylvania's constitutional convention in 1968. He found his calling as the state representative from the 182nd District. which includes the Second, Fifth, and Eighth Wards.

"Sam served in the Pennsylvania legislature with great distinction," Boyle said.

As a young lawyer, Mr. Rappaport advocated for the creation of Philadelphia Municipal Court, to replace the city's often-corrupt system of untrained magistrates. The court was one result of the 1968 convention, Boyle said.

In December 1983, Gov. Richard Thornburgh signed into law a statute sponsored by Mr. Rappaport that provided stiff penalties for computer hackers and other high-tech bandits. At the time, Pennsylvania was among only 17 states that had any computer crime legislation on the books.

Prior to that, prosecutors seeking to move against computer criminals had only theft of services laws to invoke, according to the industry publication Computerworld.Mr. Rappaport was appointed to the board of directors of the State Employees' Retirement System in 1983 and 1984.

He ran unsuccessfully for reelection to the House for the 1985 term.

Following the 1980 census, the 182nd District was reshaped to include more Eighth Ward voters, who were not as familiar with Mr. Rappaport. Joseph's platform, stressing a need for change and "a woman in the House," appealed to those new voters.

"It came as a shock the night he lost," Boyle said.

Afterward, Mr. Rappaport remained active in ward politics, but never again ran for higher office. "He was very proud of what he did," Boyle said.

Mr. Rappaport's finest legacy, Boyle said, may be his example of how to run a ward.

"Sam was able to adapt" as the ward changed from crumbling docks and run-down properties to high-rise towers and gentrified blocks. "He brought in young people and told them, 'You'll have a voice. But if there isn't consensus, I'm not going to let it fracture the ward,' " Boyle said.

His son, David, said Mr. Rappaport believed each person is responsible in life for self, others, and things. "You don't break things, you take care of them," David Rappaport said. "As a dad, he was a wonderful example for me, a loving and caring man."

Besides his son, Mr. Rappaport is survived by his wife, Rivka Shnurman Rappaport; two grandchildren; and a brother.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 10, at Goldsteins' Rosenberg's Raphael-Sacks, 6410 N. Broad St. Interment is in Haym Salomon Memorial Park, Frazer. Shiva will be observed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday at his home.

Contributions may be made to Food Allergy Research and Education, 7925 Jones Branch Dr., Suite 1100, McLean, Va. 22102.

bcook@phillynews.com

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