Kathy Metzger Trapp 1955 - 2018

TRAPP, METZGER, CARTER

Posted By: Connie Swearingen -Volunteer (email)
Date: 8/20/2018 at 11:04:18

Sioux City Journal
28 May 2018

Formerly Sioux City

Kathy Metzger Trapp, 62, a proud resident of Bellbrook and Beavercreek, Ohio, for 30 years, formerly of Sioux City, sadly passed away Tuesday, May 22, 2018, at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), with her loving husband of nearly 40 years of marriage, Dick A. Trapp, their wonderful daughter of 33 years, Melanie, and Melanie’s dedicated husband, Matt Beham, by her side.

Service will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 29, at Christ Episcopal Church in Dayton, Ohio. Burial will be in Bellbrook Cemetery. Family will receive friends from noon until the time of service at the church. Arrangements are under the direction of Tobias Funeral Home, Beavercreek Chapel.

Kathy was born Dec. 30, 1955, as the only child of Alphonse Joseph Metzger and Alice Faye Carter of Sioux City, who both preceded her in death. Kathy defeated her earthly lifetime genetic disease and passed on to her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Kathy earned her four-year BS in Medical Technology at South Dakota State University; and met and fell in love with Dick, an engineering student who dreamed of flying and was commissioned into the active duty Air Force in 1976 as a 2nd Lieutenant. She graduated from SDSU in 1978, and they married a few months later on Sept. 2, with Dick in Air Force pilot training. She loved the Air Force, her second family, and helped Dick achieve his 22.5-year active duty career as a pilot.

She loved everything about being a mother and gave birth to Melanie, their only child, in 1985. She gave Melanie her caring heart and loving personality. Being a mom was her lifetime achievement especially as Melanie earned her MS in Nutrition and was certified as a Registered Dietitian. Kathy also worked full-time as a Medical Technologist in hospital laboratories as the family moved through their early Air Force assignments. She was the one many times chosen to draw blood from frightened children with her calming smile and soothing hands. She loved to travel and enjoyed seeing Europe, Alaska, Hawaii and almost all states of the U.S. with Dick and Mel. Kathy was a passionate believer in human rights and civil rights, treating others with dignity and respect. She never said bad things about other people and never complained about her terrible debilitating rare disease, Tuberous Sclerosis Complex with LAM (very rare lung disease) that started with her first lung collapse in 1980.

Kathy with Dick, her dedicated lifetime care giver, Melanie, Matt, her Lammie Friends, loving friends, her wonderful extended family and supportive loving neighbors, fought TSC and LAM for the next 38 years. She received two miracle of life transplants from families who gave up loved ones to help save the life of a stranger. Kathy did everything in her power protecting these gifts for the last 20 years of the 38 years of difficult hospitalizations, countless doctors' appointments, clinics and with the continuous support of research scientists. She spent over one year of her life as an inpatient in hospitals. Her family is forever grateful to these donor families, doctors and researchers dedicated to help the sick and injured. They gave us Kathy for two more decades. And, without her lung and kidney transplants, she would have passed onto the Lord 20 years ago.

Kathy intensely supported research and science through the LAM Foundation of Cincinnati and TSC organizations. She donated one entire kidney to research scientists right from the operating table when both were taken out due to life-threatening bleeding. Further, Kathy gave diseased LAM lung tissue to researchers from her native lung taken out for the lung transplant. She supported for five years the NIH-directed study of LAM and dozens of genetic protocol studies on TSC and LAM from some of the nation’s top-notch medical institutions like Brigham and Womens' Hospital of Boston. Kathy participated in multiple experimental drug trials. She donated her time, talent and money to the TSC and LAM causes.

We pray more should follow Kathy’s example. Kathy, with her incredible will to beat TSC and LAM, trained hundreds of doctors, nurses and scientists about the rare disease, TSC and LAM, and that includes almost 38 years of Air Force medical personnel who stood by her with a passion. When she passed away at UPMC, she donated diseased tissue and donated critical tissue parts from her body so strangers could live better. Kathy was an equal partner in marriage, a dedicated mother, a true friend, highly educated, worked as a professional and was a strong believer in women’s equal rights. She was an American Patriot.

Kathy loved crafts like counted cross stitch, puzzles, loved cats, was a great cook and an expert quilter/seamstress. She loved flying and science fiction and Bunco. She was a beautiful wife and no man could ask for a better woman than Kathy to be his partner. Kathy was trustworthy, honest and worked hard inside and outside the house and was truly wonderful to be around. She was Dick’s partner as they rebuilt their homes and brightened the multiple neighborhoods they lived in. Her family, neighbors and friends loved her and will never forget Kathy’s amazing strength fighting TSC and LAM.

Kathy was a member of the Episcopal Church but was baptized into the Catholic Church at birth. She supported a multitude of charities, organ donation, supported veteran issues, volunteered at schools and church outreach projects and always helped her neighbors and family. She always voted. She dedicated herself to her family, especially to her daughter’s upbringing and loved Melanie and her husband deeply. She achieved the highest level of Girl Scouting and participated with Melanie in her scouting and marching band activities.

She is survived by her spouse, Dick A. Trapp of Beaver Creek; and daughter, Melanie C. Beham of Toledo. She is also survived by her loving cousin, Janice Oden of Sterling, Kan., and by many Metzger cousins like Craig, Terry, and their sister, Staci Heiden, all residing in North and South Dakota; Bob Spock in California, and Darrell Seven, Rick Seven, Arlene Boesl, Doris Nelson and Mary Louise O’Neal, all in Oregon, and Ken Uhl of Sioux City; plus Mark and Terry Uhl of Kansas.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the LAM Foundation of Cincinnati, Ohio, at www.thelamfoundation.org or send a check to The LAM Foundation, Blue Ash Executive Center, 4520 Cooper Road, Suite 300, Cincinnati, OH 45242, and indicate this is a memorial for an Angel Lammie, Kathy Trapp.