Monday, December 08, 2014

Al Wrape dies

1975                  2004                 2012            &    Oct 2014
Aloysius John Wrape Jr. 1924-2014., passed away in the early afternoon of the 2nd Sunday of Advent. It was the vigil of the Immaculate Conception. Al was a diehard Notre Dame alumni and fan. Rush Limbaugh. Al would put him on the radio each time I stepped into his car just to get a rise out of me. He was the ultimate toaster at parties, and loved to throw in a sermon with each table blessing. He raised five girls and two boys. When kidded about how many children he spawned, he’d always reply upon the one-liner, “It was all my pleasure.” In the fall of 1987, Al took me on a cruise to Alaska. He was a friend. He was more than a friend. I was always welcome as a family member in his house. He shared my love of the Monastery of Marylake, and always did what he could to keep us afloat. That meant arguing with our creditors and driving out here multiple times a week to keep our books in order. He saw the end coming. I was with him in September when Father Ralph anointed him. The seven kids gathered around their Mom Sunday, and he passed peacefully into eternity. May the angels lead you to paradise, Al.