John Vincent Tapp

One of the hottest days of the record breaking heat wave of 1936 was July 24th, the day on which John V. Tapp was born. Perhaps that’s why whenever the temperature reached 75 degrees, he insisted on turning on the air conditioning.

John grew up in the typical neighborhood of the 40’s with lots of kids, games, and fights. Mark Twain Elementary School was not far and most days John walked home and back for lunch. One rare day his parents gave him lunch money and John, being the extremely slow eater he was, was still eating his lunch when the rest of the students exited the cafeteria. A rule at Mark Twain was you had to clean your plate. John had a pile of peas left on his and he spooned them onto the neighboring stool, pushing it far under the table. When the Cafeteria Manager came over, her “Good job” put a smile on his face. His plot to hide the peas failed when the Cafeteria Manager found him in his classroom, pulled him by the ear and took him back to eat the remaining peas.

At Southeast High School, he mainly enjoyed drafting class, and sketching, a talent that helped him pass Biology. But mostly he was proud to be an ROTC cadet.

He was very responsible and knew he had to work for all the little extras. The part-time job he talked about most was his one as usher at the Brookside Theater. He regaled us with stories of the kids throwing their candy everywhere, at each other and at him. One evening showing, as he was leading a couple to their seats, he dropped his flashlight which then rolled down the entire aisle, crashing into the stage.

After high school, John joined the Naval Reserves and spent training time in San Diego and the Great Lakes. The three grandkids thought it hilarious when he told them about the sailors, completely stripped of their clothes swimming around for training exercises.

John held various jobs until he landed one with the IRS. He started out at an entry level grade, but eventually worked up to Revenue Agent. Soon after joining IRS, he married his wife Nancy, a marriage which lasted 53 years; they welcomed daughter Anne and son Matt within a few years. Never one to say “no,” he coached the kids’ sports like basketball and baseball, enjoying every minute of it. He was attending his granddaughter’s high school basketball game just a few weeks ago.

He was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church where he served in numerous leadership roles at Covenant Presbyterian and then at First Presbyterian of Lee’s Summit. At both churches during the morning’s anthem, you could hear his booming bass voice filling the far reaches of the sanctuary. At both churches he served several terms as a ruling elder and also counted the offerings for both every week.

Other leadership positions he filled were a regional union steward for the National Treasury Employees Union where he travelled to Chicago frequently. How he hated going up there on cold winter days. For both his children he served as the major fundraising person for the Lee's Summit High School Band Parents. Even now in retirement he has served as President of the Meadows North Homeowners Association for at least 15 years.

John’s passion for traveling began in his Navy days. In fact, John and Nancy borrowed the cash to take a honeymoon trip to the Caribbean. They continued their traveling to places such as Egypt, the Holy Land, Europe, China, and Russia. The love of travel eventually included Matt’s wife, Cindi, and his grandchildren. His three grandkids, Molly, Hannah, and Haydn, were the focus of his life and he treasured making memories with them. One of John’s favorite sayings was “people first, things second”. That baby born on a hot day in July has certainly lived it.

John was preceded in death by his father, Alva Morris Tapp and his mother, Laura Martha Dickey Tapp. Survivors include his wife, Nancy Martin Tapp (Independence), daughter Anne Elizabeth Tapp Tate (Independence), son Matthew Tapp (Kansas City), daughter-in-law Cindi Talbert (Kansas City), granddaughters Molly Tapp and Hannah Tapp (Liberty/Kansas City), grandson Haydn Gambardella (Kansas City), brother-in-law Donald Mills (Stockton, MO), and several nieces and nephew.