I was distraught when I heard that my friend for over a decade, legendary political reporter, Bill Rappleye, had succumbed to his battle with cancer.
I first met Bill Rappleye when I was representing the state on economic development matters a decade or more ago, and we became fast friends. He was one of those people you couldn't help but like. He was honest and yet never pulled any punches on interviews. He asked the questions we were all thinking. And, as his daughters so eloquently put it, he was a champion of the little guys and told their stories. That he was.
But there is another side of Bill that drew me to him; his insatiable appetite to tell the stories of Rhode Island and its legacy, both past and present, to the world. I remember sharing with him stories of companies based in Rhode Island he fell in love with like Crisloid, the world’s leading manufacturer of luxury board games right in the Ocean State. Bill loved backgammon, but he loved these kinds of stories even more, and believe me, Rhode Island is home to many stories like this. For such a small corner of the earth to be so rich in quality people creating quality products known the world over is quite remarkable.
When I moved to Washington around early 2017, I soon became aware of a group of Rhode Island ex-pats who were all living in, and around, our nation’s capital, the State Society of Rhode Island. After one meeting with them, I was hooked. They had all the qualities of native Rhode Islanders that I, and Bill, loved – they were passionate and proud of where they came from; they wanted to help people like me acclimate to my move to the DC area. They were our kind of people.
I remember telling Bill about finding the State Society of Rhode Island and he was really intrigued, so much so that when we had our very first event honoring some of the state’s greatest ambassadors, Bill not only covered the event, but he came to DC to experience it, on his own dime. That was the kind of guy Bill was. If he loved something or believed in it, he would support it in any way he could.
So, as I say goodbye to my dear friend, I know there are many people outside of Rhode Island who got to experience first-hand Bill’s passion for all things Rhode Island. And like me, while he wasn’t born in the Ocean State, I know he will forever consider himself a Rhode Islander at heart.
-Andy Cutler