The North Jersey Sierra Group mourns the loss of Jeff Rapaport, a true climate warrior and an amazing human being. Jeff was passionate about two things: his beloved grandchildren and fighting against climate change. A thoughtful, caring man, Jeff believed the greatest gift he could bestow on his grandchildren was a more habitable planet. Jeff passed away unexpectedly on Sunday October 14, 2024.
On October 10, Jeff shared his passion to fight climate change during a presentation at a North Jersey Group Open House. Four days later, he was gone. But his passion for the environment and compassion for future generations lives on in all who knew him and those who heard him speak. The gleam in his eyes, look on his face, and excitement in his voice when he spoke about taking action, attending rallies, and giving testimony was infectious and motivating. His environmental spirit lives on in us.
An officer of the North Jersey Group for over a decade, Jeff shared his passion for environmental action with all who knew him. He was the chair of the North Jersey Sierra Group Climate Change Committee and a member of the Club’s Offshore Wind Committee. He worked tirelessly to build coalitions with other organizations, including the Franciscan Response to Fossil Fuels, Food & Water Watch, and the Coalition to Ban Unsafe Oil Trains. He represented the North Jersey Sierra Group on the coordinating committees of these coalitions and was on the front lines in the fight against the construction of the NJ Transit Gas Plant, the Passaic Valley Sewerage Commission’s gas plant, Tennessee Gas Pipeline Company’s pipeline projects, NJ Turnpike expansions, and the Meadowlands power plant, to name just a few.
Jeff was also a star bird dogger. He always showed up on short notice to publicly lobby Gov. Murphy and, on many occasions, was able to unassumingly enter events even when other protesters were held back by security! He was always willing to do the not-always-fun-but-critically-important “behind the scenes” work, such as calling voters and activists to engage them on an issue.
In his daily prayers, Jeff asked two things: “Please help me be a human being. Please help me fight climate change.” Always cognizant of what he needed to do, Jeff remained calm in the face of sometimes heated meetings. His path was clear and he refused to be sidetracked or pushed off course. Jeff was a tireless advocate for the environment. His loss leaves a void in our group and our hearts.