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Memorial Keepers(1)
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Olivia Michaels Bogert
Lou's Friend
Lou Trapani
December 17th, 1947 - July 11th, 2024
December 17th, 1947 - July 11th, 2024
"Goodnight, sweet prince, and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest."
Louis G. "Lou" Trapani, 76, passed on July 11, 2024, in Tivoli, New York. Lou was a beloved figure born in Brooklyn, New York, on December 17, 1947.
Lou graduated from Northport High School in 1965 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Dramatic Literature at Hofstra University in 1969. He furthered his education by obtaining a Master of Public Administration from the City College of New York. Lou had three lifelong passions: theater, people, and politics. His work as Executive and Artistic Director of The CENTER for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck reflected his commitment to community theater and education programming in the arts. Lou was skilled in recognizing people's talents and needs and helped many to flourish. He proudly worked for David Dinkins, former Mayor of New York City, and Mario Cuomo during his third term as Governor of New York. Lou took pride in his efforts as Executive Director of Volunteer Service and Chief of Staff of the New York State Commission National and Community Service.
He is survived by his life partner, Emily DePew of Tivoli, NY; his sister, Catherine, of Atlanta, GA; and numerous cousins and friends whom he profoundly impacted and who will miss him dearly. Lou was predeceased by his parents, Louis and Bernice Trapani (nee Blind) of Roxbury, New York.
Dapson Chestney Funeral Home of Rhinebeck welcomed him into their care for cremation services.
A Celebration of Life will be held at The CENTER for the Performing Arts at Rhinebeck on Saturday, September 14. Instead of flowers, contributions honoring his lifelong support of the arts and arts education may be made to The CENTER for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck or its Education Program. Donations can be made on this page, on The CENTER’s website at centerforperformingarts.org/donate, or by making out a check to RPA, Inc. The CENTER’s address is 661 Route 308, Rhinebeck, NY 12572
Lou's legacy will continue inspiring and impacting the community he loved.
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Tributes
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JoAnne Valentín Schubert
We met Lou in the spring of 1997, during our rehearsals for Follies. That was a year before we opened this building, back when there was a tent on this site. I remember feeling a bit intimidated by him, but was impressed by his confidence and ability to conquer the task at hand. For example, he & a number of people had to push out a platform bearing Richard Prouse as a tall, beautiful showgirl in Follies. I remember watching Lou listen to the music, and count “1,2,3, here, we, go.” And they pushed & glided Richard out flawlessly. Similarly, in Cinderella, he was the king and Ellen Honig was the queen, and from the orchestra pit (yes, we had a real one back then), I could see him counting them into their entrance to the ball. (5,6,7,8) Through the years, I grew to respect him as a wise friend to our whole family. Paul can certainly speak to his relationship with Lou. But for me, one situation stands out in particular. When I started to suffer from performance anxiety a number of years ago, he was a great help to me, listening intently to everything I said. Then he shared his own method of preparation for his roles, and pretty much gave me permission to do whatever I needed to do to mentally and physically prepare for my shows, and not apologize for any of it. But the thing that I am most grateful to Lou for, is his treatment of my girls, all through their childhood, and into their adult years. He has been to our home for every major milestone birthday and graduation. He has seen and celebrated their intellectual achievements. He has offered counsel to them, but has never spoken down to them, and has always treated them with respect. He always wanted to know what they were up to, and liked to hear & discuss their movie and book recommendations. He loved hearing about their school endeavors, and helped Maya with at least one essay in college. But he still found time to be silly and goof around with them. A truly unique person, I will miss our movie nights together (A Muppet Christmas Carol), Paul will miss his drinking buddy, and the girls will miss their eccentric “uncle” Lou. JoAnne Valentín Schubert 🎶
Maya Schubert
Last March, Lou asked me to read the novel he had just finished writing. After I read it, he invited me to lunch to talk about the book. Our conversation strayed to many topics - one of them being my uncertainly about my career and my future. I was feeling depressed and directionless. So, he said, go out and adventure. Travel. Screw the status quo. Screw college or work or whatever is making you unhappy. Just go live. His words that day brought me back to life a little. They gave and continue to give me hope. For years, everybody had been telling me to be patient about dreaming. Once the pandemic upended my plans, I grew especially tired of waiting for life to take me where I wanted to go. Lou’s advice prompted me to take a trip to Venice that summer. I always dreamed of traveling and decided to finally do it. The following spring I went to London. The last time I saw Lou, he reamed me for getting a box seat at the Globe instead of standing with the groundlings. I have genuinely thought about what he said to me that day again and again for the past year and a half. And I will continue to follow his advice. I am so lucky to have had him in my life - and I shall continue to have him, in memory and in what he has passed on to me and so many others.
John Hohmann
"Trapani" spelled backwards is "In a part" Nuff said Love ya Lou!
Roselee Blooston
I would not have returned to the theatre after a twenty-five year hiatus, had it not been for Lou Trapani. His generous and unwavering support of my plays and of my dormant performance self made a huge difference to my creative fulfillment in the past ten years. He was a true friend, a wise leader, and a giant talent. I will never forget him. RIP
Sean Mahoney
I first met Lou when I was in The Secret Garden at The Center. I was playing Colin and so I was a part of Live At The Center where I would be interviewed by him. I was a nervous 13-year-old kid and it was my first show at the Center. My first impression of Lou was that he was an intimidating person, but very well-respected and for good reason. We worked together again when I was 17 in Rebel Without A Cause. Lou was producer and my character had to shoot a gun during the show. Lou taught me how to shoot the fake gun, and I realized at this moment that Lou was an incredibly talented person and educator. Hearing him speak during notes and rehearsals was truly inspiring. After opening night of Rebel, I was still kind of intimidated by Lou. He approached me in the lobby and told me I was fantastic, and to me it felt like an achievement to have someone as legendary as Lou say that. It was incredibly kind. We snapped a picture together every night during the run and I learned so much from him. Lou even went out of his way to see me play Pippin at Coach House Players. He told me had no idea I could sing and I should be proud. As someone who has dealt with self-esteem issues for most of my life, Lou’s kind words of encouragement made me realize that I am worthy to work in this field and I can do anything if I set my mind to it. I wish I got to know Lou longer and work with him on more shows, but I am very grateful for the time I did have with him and for what I learned from him. I can see how much of an impact he’s had on people’s lives and it’s so special! I will cherish my time with Lou for life. - Sean Mahoney
George Conrad
"His life was gentle, and the elements so mixed in him that Nature might stand up and say to all the world, "This was a man!"--Julius Caesar, V.v Thank you Lou.
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