Obituary

Thomas Cross Rolapp (Tom) 73, was born at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles, California on September 28, 1951. He passed away on December 30, 2024, at Mission Viejo Hospital in Mission Viejo, CA, following a short illness.

A true intellectual, Tom had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge and had a relentless desire for understanding. An example of this is when he was two, he asked Mom for some “split milk”.  He was referring to “Half and Half!” and no one ever mentioned to him that split referred to a fraction.

He was a great conversationalist who enjoyed a good interactive discussion with many people from various walks of life.  His verbal talents were evident and when he walked into a room he could command the group’s immediate attention. Obviously, he was driven by his inquisitive nature finding life and people very interesting and diverse.

He graduated from James Monroe High School, attended CSUN in Northridge, California and spent a year at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.

As a child, Tom enjoyed a variety of sports, both as a participant and as a spectator. He played Little League baseball where his usual position was pitcher.  He also played Pop Warner Football.  His love of sports continued throughout his life, with tennis being his favorite game of choice. He was always up for a good game of tennis.

Tom’s other interests included the performing arts. A memorable image was seeing a young boy standing in an audition room singing “Moon River” still wearing his football uniform (He hadn’t had time to change).  He wasn’t going to pass up an audition opportunity to play role of Tom Sawyer in an upcoming production of  “Tom Sawyer” just because he was wearing a dirt-covered football uniform!.  Obviously, the uniform wasn’t a distraction because he was cast in that role. This, and singing since he was old enough to utter sounds was the evidence that he was nurturing a desire to be involved with the performing arts.

Later, and as a young adult, Tom was hired to be Merv Griffin’s cue card man.  He enjoyed sharing his job title with others as he drove to and from work in his MG convertible with a license plate that read “Cue Merv”.

Tom’s excellent writing skills led him to work in the film and television industry writing and developing scripts for various infomercials.  He produced and directed numerous commercials and infomercials.  He would often describe the essence of his work by stating, “I ruin your late night T.V.”

His heart and passion were his love for the performing arts.  This was the foundation of who he was! His acting career included many comedies, dramas, and various other theatre genres.  Just prior to his passing Tom was rehearsing lines for a supporting role in King Lear.

As time passed, Tom met a young woman, Susan Jarrosiak. They were married on November 4th, 2000. On June 19th, 2002 the couple welcomed their darling daughter and named her Holland J. Rolapp.  Holland quickly became the apple of her “Diddi’s” (daddy’s) eye.  As time passed it became evident that Holland would find joy in following in her dad’s footsteps by pursuing life in the spotlight, as a performer and began studying Theatre Arts.  She currently is completing her 2nd year at Pacific Conservatory of the Arts in Santa Maria, CA.  Tom prided himself on her choice and recognized that she would carry on his legacy and love of the theatre.  He would often say, “Holland is much more talented than me.”  He was proud of his daughter and grateful for her sweet spirit and thoughtful words.

This following paragraph was the final tribute that she wrote to the character her dad emulated:

“Thomas Rolapp was my father, and was a friend to all that knew him. Unfortunately he has passed unexpectedly and I wanted to take this opportunity to share what a wonderful man my father was.

My father was one of the most creative, wise, talented, hilarious and humble people I’ve had the pleasure to know and love. He shaped my world with compassion, kindness, and true love. He was full of ideas and a passion for life. A writer, a producer, a director, an actor, a singer, a wonderful comedian, an advocate for friends and family; He was sunshine and laughter and made sure everyone felt welcomed and heard and appreciated. A true artist, and a true friend, he understood how to lead with your heart and trust your soul’s journey.

He is the reason I am who I’ve become today and I will continue to dedicate my passion, career, and my life to him.”

Tom was preceded in death by his parents, Edgar T. Rolapp and Betty Jean Cross Rolapp.  He is survived by his daughter, Holland J. Rolapp, his sister, Barbara Rolapp Egbert (Sid), his nephews Jared (Catrina), Aaron (Katie), and Paul (Sara).  He is also survived by several cousins.

His Celebration of Life will be held May 24, 2025.  Further information concerning the date, time and services will be published later.  Please direct your interest in attending the upcoming services to Holland Rolapp: Hollandrolapp@gmail.com
or to Barbara Rolapp’s email:   Barbaraegbert1@gmail.com