William “Bill” Rapp finished his last earthly jam session June 6th, 2026 at the age of 71 to join some of his favorite musicians who were already at that great gig in the sky. Although his exit came a little too soon (and I think he’d agree that a drummer who’s in a rush needs some work!) we can take solace that everyone benefited from his presence in their lives.
Bill was born and raised (and raised some hell) in Lake Mohawk, N.J. He played drums with bands all over New Jersey and New York until he followed his lifelong buddy-buddy out to the Pacific Northwest where he started taking gigs in Seaside, Ore.
Although Bill worked most of his life as an repair technician, he really preferred fishing and keeping a beat with his hands on any surface near him (countertops, tables, bowls, pots...).
He was a lifelong sports fan and you couldn’t keep him off his iPad when fantasy football began. His sports betting wasn’t just limited to the NFL. Ironically, he wagered the Knicks to go all the way this year, his last bet—going out the winner he always was.
When Bill met the love of his life, Sherry Kelley, she not only completed him, but made him the man he was always meant to be. They were married in Vegas over Super Bowl weekend in 2013. The love birds moved to Tillamook, Oregon, kind of in the middle of nowhere but he was a middle of nowhere kind of guy, until he retired and they relocated to their dream home in Florence, Oregon. With a lot of free time on his hands, Bill built his man cave with his highly refined audio system and always growing LP collection where he listened to tunes, tied off fly fishing flies, and I can neither confirm nor deny that he may have drank a few beers and smoked a little weed.
Bill is survived by his devoted wife, Sherry, his sister Kathy Newman, his nieces Megan and Michelle and their husbands Tom and Jeremy, respectively, his nephew Tom, five great nieces, one great nephew, and a crew of hell-raising friends.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date.
