Stephen Lapan Obituary

Stephen D. Lapan of Sedona, Arizona, died April 19, 2011, following a short illness. He was born in Aurora, Illinois, in 1940 to Richard and Gladys Lapan. The oldest of three children, he attended K-12 schools in Galva, Illinois, where he was an outstanding athlete. In 1962 he graduated from Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa, with an education degree. In Illinois he taught middle school in Roberts-Thawville and Elk Grove Village school districts while completing a master's degree in special education (gifted) at the University of Illinois. From 1966 to 1973 he worked for the state of Illinois as a consultant in gifted education and educational evaluation. He graduated from the University of Connecticut with a Ph.D. in educational psychology in 1972. From 1973-86 he was a professor at Northeastern Illinois University in elementary and gifted education. Dr. Lapan joined the faculty of Northern Arizona University in 1986 and worked in the areas of gifted education and educational research. He was coordinator of the Curriculum and Instruction doctorate at the time of his retirement as Professor Emeritus in May 2010. He authored numerous articles and books related to gifted education and educational research. Dr. Lapan is survived by his wife, Dr. Patricia Hays; one sister, Susan Lapan Fulton, of Brookfield, Illinois; two aunts, Lily Wallace and Dorothy Reed, of Toulon, Illinois; a niece, Kate Fulton, of Brookfield and nephew, Josh (Jennifer) Fulton, of Oak Park, IL, and 5 nieces and nephews, 4 great nieces and nephews, and many cousins in Illinois, Iowa, and Texas. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother David Lapan. A family memorial will be held in Illinois in May. Because of Steve's love of teaching, working with students, mentoring new faculty, and his academic writing, his family requests that memorial donations be made to the Galva Public Library District, 120 N.W. Third Avenue, Galva, IL 61434