Birth date: Aug 26, 1932 Death date: Mar 1, 2015
LaPrade, John H., 82, born August 26, 1932 in Ft. Worth, Texas, passed away on Sunday, March 1, 2015 in Dallas, Texas. He was the son of the late Robert J. LaPrade, Sr. and the late Mary Buford Snoddy LaPrade. He is survived by hi Read Obituary
Be My Love Bouquet with Red Roses was purchased for the family of John H LaPrade.
Strength & Solace Spray was purchased for the family of John H LaPrade.
?John,? as many of us knew him, had a remarkable history of leadership in Sigma Delta Pi that began when he became Chapter Adviser at Southern Methodist University in 1963. In addition to his 37 years of local leadership, John also held numerous regional and national offices for the Society to include inaugural State Director of North Texas (1966-72), Vice-President of the Southwest for three consecutive terms (1972-83), Director of the then Southwest Regional Literary and Scholarship Contests (1975-83), National Election Committee Chair (1989), National President for two terms (1992-98), National Scholarship Committee Member (2006), President Emeritus (2001-2015), and National Executive Committee Member (1992-2015). The impact John made on our beloved organization during his 40 years of service is immeasurable, and his contributions far too numerous to list here. However, what made Dr. LaPrade?s leadership so memorable and powerful was his consistently ?gentle and unassuming way,? the words used by the late Dr. Richard E. Chandler, past National President of Sigma Delta Pi. Those of us who worked closely with John were always impressed with his persistent, selfless devotion to the Society as he repeatedly avoided praise for his work. As just one of the countless examples of John?s humility, during an Executive Committee Meeting in Lafayette, Louisiana in the early 2000s, a colleague proposed that a national award be named after John in order to honor his decades of selfless service. John swiftly and adamantly rejected the idea while claiming that the notable contributions of his predecessors such as T. Earle Hamilton, Ignacio Galbis and Dick Chandler, were much more deserving of recognition. He also declared that if he were to be remembered for anything, it should be his role in successfully advocating for the future national leadership of the organization. In other words, he preferred to take pride in the success of the colleagues he had mentored to lead Sigma Delta Pi. The only way to acknowledge John directly and successfully was to surprise him, which fortunately the Society managed to do on multiple occasions: in 1998, Dr. LaPrade was inducted into the Orden de Don Quijote during the Triennial Convention in Madrid, Spain; in 2001, Past President Germán D. Carrillo named John ?President Emeritus,? and in 2007, John was named an inaugural co-recipient of the Jorge Luis Borges, one of Sigma Delta Pi?s highest honors for lifetime achievement. This latter occasion was particularly memorable because Doug LaPrade, John?s son, accepted the award on his father?s behalf. I had the privilege of working with John directly during his presidency when I was appointed Executive Secretary-Treasurer in 1997. John was not only ?gentle and unassuming,? but he was infinitely patient with a young colleague who had much to learn about managing the finances and operations of the largest collegiate foreign language honor society in the U.S. I will forever be grateful for John?s constant guidance and support, especially back in September 1998 when the then newly-elected National President suddenly resigned, thereby requiring me to assume the role of Acting President after barely only one year as Executive Secretary-Treasurer. A terrifying prospect was made manageable by John LaPrade?s generous and wise aid. As we reflect on Dr. John LaPrade?s legacy, let?s remember a selfless man whose dedication, loyalty and vision were in large part responsible for the success of our Society today. ?Spanías Didagéi Proágomen,? John? You will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.
Dear Doug and the LaPrade Family, Please know that your father was also a great man, a true gentleman and a fine model to follow. We have learned a great deal by his exemplary life, his hard work, honesty and a rare but sincere sense of humility. The years spent together with SDP- The National Hispanic Honor Society- were years of learning, from John, how to serve others -mainly college students- through a great cause and ideals in which we have always believed. John will be missed but never forgotten. Please accept our most sincere condolences at this most difficult hour. As always, Germán D. Carrillo
To the LaPrade family, my thoughts and prayers are with you. I am grateful for having known Dr. LaPrade. He and Mrs. LaPrade were our SMU in Spain university faculty members who organized our class. I have fond memories of Dr. LaPrade. He was a wonderful man. Un abrazo a la familia. Norma Sanchez Garza (SMU in Spain Fall 1979)
My thoughts and prayers are with the family of Dr. LaPrade. I have many fond memories of my favorite professor. In the classroom, he was patient, kind, and entertaining. At the end of my time at SMU, I was thrilled to have Dr. LaPrade hand me my Phi Beta Kappa key! I will never forget him. Thomas Lyons M.D. (SMU 1984)
Margaret, SMU just sent an email today about John. I am so very sorry about your loss. You will be in my thoughts and prayers. I fondly remember listening to your stories about John and your family while teaching with you at Lincoln High School many years ago. Several of my SMU work studies had John as a professor and all thought very highly of him. My deepest sympathies are with you and your family at this time. Lynn Lawrence (White) Moubry
He was vital to my starting out using correct grammar in my written and spoken Spanish. He was a total gentleman at all times and I was honored when he and Mrs. LaPrade attended a social function and they enjoyed my father's sour-cream chicken enchiladas. It was a pleasure to revisit w Doug and meet his other son, John and his family.
