Frammers,
I just got a note from Marjorie Ropp, wife of the China scholar, Paul
Ropp,
who used to visited with us from time to time. She says, in part,
When you see the Fri-AM group at St. Johns, please let them know how
much
Paul enjoyed those weekly gatherings. And thanks to you all for
inviting
him to join you. I think the Fri-AM meeting was Paul's favorite
activity
here in Santa Fe.
We really do have a good thing going here.
Nick
Nicholas Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Ethology and Psychology
Clark University
<mailto:[email protected]> [email protected]
<https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/>
https://wordpress.clarku.edu/nthompson/
From: Nick Thompson <[email protected]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2019 10:27 AM
To: Friam ([email protected]) <[email protected]>
Subject: My colleague Paul Ropp
Dear Friammers,
Some of you may remember Paul, who used to join us for a month at a
time,
beginning four or five years back. He was a china scholar colleague
of mine
at Clark, and eagerly looked forward to coming to FRIAM when he was
out
here. I will miss those visits.
See below,
Nick
Nicholas S. Thompson
Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Biology
Clark University
http://home.earthlink.net/~nickthompson/naturaldesigns/
From: [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>
[mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of
Amy Lee
Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2019 6:40 AM
To: '[email protected]'
<[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> >; dl_faculty-announcements
<[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> >;
[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> ; dl_admin
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >;
dl_physplant <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> >; dl_police
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >;
dl_staff
<[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> >
Subject: Paul Ropp Obituary
Paul S. Ropp, PhD, died on April 14, 2019 of metastatic melanoma at
his home
in Worcester at age 75. He was a Professor of History at Clark
University
for 26 years before he retired in 2010, a founding board member of the
Center for Nonviolent Solutions and an active member of the First
Unitarian
Church.
Paul was born March 25, 1944 on a farm in Normal, IL to Peter and Ann
(Kropf) Ropp where he was surrounded by an adoring grandmother, doting
aunts
and a large extended family. His formative years were influenced by
the
Mennonite Church, 4-H Clubs and the hard work of dairy farming. He
graduated from Normal Community High School in 1962.
Paul leaves his wife of 53 years, Marjorie (Liechty) Ropp; two sons,
Andrew
and his wife Rachel of Santa Fe, NM, Benjamin and his wife Jordan
Dooms of
Wichita, KS; a daughter Amy and her husband Todd Bezrutczyk; and three
grandchildren, Christopher (CJ) Bezrutczyk, Simone Ropp and Silas
Ropp. He
is survived by two brothers Ronald Ropp (Martha Jo) of Normal, IL and
Allen
Ropp (Shirley) of Belmond, IA.
In his pursuit of life beyond the farm, Paul earned his BA from
Bluffton
College (a Mennonite college in Bluffton, OH) and his MA and PhD
(1974) in
East Asian and Chinese History from the University of Michigan. His
graduate study included Japanese and Chinese languages and he was
still
fluent in Chinese until the end. He taught for one year each at State
College of Arkansas (Conway, AR) and McGill University (Montreal), 10
years
at University of Memphis and 25 plus years at Clark University
(Worcester).
In his retirement he found a way to use his expertise in East Asian
History
and culture by giving destination lectures on cruise ships throughout
SE
Asia, Taiwan, China and Japan.
Paul was the author of three books; China in World History (2010);
Banished
Immortal: Searching for Shuangqing, China's Peasant Woman Poet (2001);
and
Dissent in Early Modern China: "Ju-lin wai-shih" and Ch'ing Social
Criticism
(1981); editor of Heritage of China: Contemporary Perspectives on
Chinese
Civilization (1990); and author of numerous articles.
For over 25 years, Paul was active in the First Unitarian Church of
Worcester, as a choir member, as Chair of the music committee, as a
member
of the Social Action committee, as former Assessor and former
Moderator.
One of Paul's passions was working for peace and nonviolence in
Worcester
and beyond. He was Chair of the Board of the Center for Nonviolent
Solutions, educating young people in nonviolent responses to conflict.
He
sang with the Unitonians, a barbershop quartet, formed with friends
from
First U around Paul's long-time love for barbershop music.
Paul was an avid reader and follower of current events who appreciated
the
many ironies of modern life. His humor and wit enlivened his
conversations
with family and friends. Since retirement Paul wrote frequent opinion
pieces for the "As I See It" column in the Worcester Telegram and
Gazette,
giving voice to his outrage against misguided politics and foreign
policy,
and his conviction that knowledge of the past must inform present
actions.
In his retirement, Paul turned his attention back to his roots on the
Illinois prairie. He transcribed his mother's diary as a farm wife
and
nurse that she kept for over 70 years. He transcribed over 2000 pages
of
the writings of his grandfather, Edwin Oliver Ropp, and recently
finished a
lengthy manuscript Prairie Poet, Rural Radical (yet unpublished) of
this
poet-pacifist-socialist-vegetarian-philosopher farmer who died before
Paul
was born.
In 2009 Paul facilitated his daughter Amy's re-connecting with her
birth
family, the Wu Family, in Hualien, Taiwan. This wonderful reunion and
subsequent frequent visits with our Taiwan Family, with Paul
interpreting,
enriched all of our lives.
He donated his body to the Anatomical Gifts Program at the University
of
Massachusetts Medical School. After cremation, his ashes will be
buried in
the Ropp Cemetery in Normal, IL, two miles from his childhood home,
alongside those of his Ropp ancesters.
A memorial service will be held at the First Unitarian Church of
Worcester,
90 Main Street, on Saturday, April 27 at 3:00 PM, followed by a
reception at
the Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the
First
Unitarian Church, 90 Main Street, Worcester, MA 01608 or the Center
for
Nonviolent Solutions, 901 Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA 01602.
Paul's family wishes to thank the VNA Care Hospice Team for the
compassionate care they provided during Paul's final days.
Arrangements are being directed by Alfred Roy & Sons Funeral Home, 12
Hammond Street, Worcester, MA 01610. Condolence messages can be
submitted
to the guestbook at www.royfuneral.com
<https://nam01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.royfun
eral.com&data=02%7C01%7Cnthompson%40clarku.edu%7C8ade015a755c44ef3a7508d6c26
8b97e%7Cb5b2263d68aa453eb972aa1421410f80%7C1%7C1%7C636910152401313801&sdata=
jDtUH2cLjXQ2wEszn9CqmN3rZXzjboZ6VxEOzBzPZzM%3D&reserved=0> or at
CaringBridge.org website.
