LAPAN, Stephen D.

Arizona Daily Sun, Flagstaff, AZ Tuesday, April 26, 2011 Stephen D. Lapan died April 19, 2011, following a short illness from complications related to chronic pancreatitis. He was born in Aurora, Ill., in 1940 and attended K-12 schooling in Galva, Ill., 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 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. Mr. 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. Most recently he co-edited "Research Essentials" (2009) with M. Quartaroli and "Qualitative Research" (in press) with M. Quartaroli and F. Riemer. Mr. Lapan loved the academic life: the challenge of teaching by providing support to students while holding high standards of academic excellence; the writing process of creating readable, explicit academic writing; the intellectual discussions with colleagues and students; the mentoring of new faculty members. This was the life he loved. He lived in Pine Valley in the Village of Oak Creek for more than 20 years. Mr. Lapan is survived by his wife, Pat Hays, his life partner both personally and professionally; and a sister, aunts, cousins, nieces and nephews in Illinois, Iowa and Texas. A life celebration/open house will be Saturday from 2 to 4 p.m., in the Bright Angel Room in the 1899 Bar and Grill complex (in the old North Union/Prochnow Auditorium), 307 W. Dupont Ave., across from the High Country Conference Center and Drury Inn on the NAU campus. A family memorial will be held in Illinois in May. Mr. Lapan loved his two cats, who came from the Sedona Humane Society, and they provided him with much comfort during the last few months of his illnesses. The family requests that memorial donations be made to the Humane Society of Sedona, 2115 Shelby Drive, Sedona, AZ 86336.