Lucille Rupp

Obituary



Lucille Rupp, age 92, of Hays, Kansas passed to her eternal reward while at her home on Wednesday, October 5, 2022.

Lucille was born on May 5, 1930 to Joseph and Sophia (Pfannenstiel) Rupp. Lucille was the eleventh child of fifteen, growing up on a farm near Liebenthal and LaCrosse, Kansas until the family moved to Hays. That same day she enrolled as a Freshman at Girls Catholic High School. She graduated from GCHS in 1948, attended St. Marys College in Leavenworth, Kansas from 1949-1953 graduating with a degree in Music.

God gifted Lucille with an outstanding coloratura singing voice with a range of 3 octaves. She could reach 3-4 notes above High C and 3-4 notes below Low C. Lucille made several vocal recordings to submit to the Fulbright Scholarship Board, which her family now cherishes. She sang solos at GCHS and at various events in the Hays area and received the Fulbright Scholarship award to study voice in Vienna, Austria. She also performed in operas in Vienna.

When the scholarship funding was ending in 1956, Lucille became employed with the US Atomic Energy Commission as a US Federal Employee to personally continue funding her vocal training. Lucille loved to travel and experience other cultures. She traveled to Sri Lanka, India in the late 50s to study the Indian culture before returning home to Hays where she again enrolled in Fort Hays State College and earned a Degree in Nursing. With her love to travel, she practiced nursing in Utah and California and while living in Phoenix, Arizona, having perfect diction, she read books on the radio where she met her current husband, Bob Shanahan.

Lucille had a love for gardening and everyone who visited her home enjoyed her extensive flower gardens. She became very devoted again to her childhood parish of St. Joseph Church and loved to garden their landscape well into her later years.

Lucille is survived by her husband, Robert Shanahan of Hays; two sisters, Zita (Robert "Bob") Zimmerman, Catherine "Cattie" John "Jack" Geyer, both of Canon City, Colorado; brother-in-law, Mark Weigel of Wakeeney, Kansas; and sister-in-law, Patricia Rupp of Wichita, Kansas.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Sophia Rupp; siblings, Marcellus Rupp; Alice (Ambrose) Herrman, Albina "Sandy" (Kenneth) Moore, Irene (Clarence) Leiker, Severin (Alice) Rupp, Harry "Rusty" (Terry) Rupp, Virgil "Blackie" Rupp, Mary (Eugene "Lefty") Werth, Marcellus "Mark" (Patricia) Rupp, Anna "Annie" (Howard) Cox, Rudolph "Hank" (Elizabeth "Betty") Rupp, and Pauline "Gigi" Weigel.

Funeral Mass will be held at 1:30 pm on Monday, October 10, 2022 at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Hays with burial to follow in the St. Francis Cemetery in Munjor, Kansas. Fr. Richard Daise will be officiating.

Memorials can be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church or Thomas More Prep-Marian Music Department and may be sent in care of Brocks-Keithley Funeral Chapel and Crematory 2509 Vine Hays, KS 67601.

Condolences may be left by guest book at www.keithleyfuneralchapels.com

















Services







Funeral Mass Monday

October 10, 2022

1:30 PM

St. Joseph Catholic Church

210 W. 13th

Hays, Kansas 67601