Lemar Pipkins

Fishing trips started at 5 a.m., a requirement for all during the summer months.

In addition to catching fish he also built doll houses for his grandchildren; his life was full, his home an apex for his children and grandchildren during the summer months.

Lemar had a 30 plus year history of heart problems yet procedure after procedure he came home ready to meet the next chapter in his life head on.

Lemar was the son of Hattie Mae Thomas and Larch Pipkins.

Born March 15 1924 in rural Shreveport Louisiana (His brothers and he use to fight over who got to ride the family cow to pick up their prospective dates as teenagers) a place and time children only went to school 6 months out of the year and the other 6 were for helping on the family farm.

At 19 he married the love of his life Maggie in Louisiana.

Between them they had 6 children; Stella Raudenbush passed at 59 years of age and a stillborn boy.

They are survived by 4 of their children, Elbert Pipkins, Robert Pipkins, Jerrolyn Simpson and Judy Levis.

Soon after he wed, Lemar entered the air force taking he and his family from Louisiana to Japan.

Lemar promised his new wife Maggie if she would follow him during his military career he would buy her a house.

A promise that was fulfilled on the corner of Center Ave in Buzzards Bay MA November 6th 1956.

After retirement from the military when jobs were not readily available for African American men he and his wife started a business selling baby furniture, door to door, on military bases.

Lemar graduated from Cape Cod Community College May 26 1977 and went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in communications from Boston University at the tender age of 57.

Adamant about education he came out of retirement in his 70's and re-entered the workforce to send his great-granddaughter to college.

They just don't make men like this anymore.

He also was quite a competitor at whist, master of making cakes from scratch and scolding the children not to run in the house while his cakes were cooling.

He leaves his friends as Lemar Msgt 'Pip' Pipkins; his family being affectionately known as Biggy, short for Big Daddy.

And that is who he was till the end, a larger that life human force regaling all his kin with a good joke and a strong will.

He even took time with the timber in his voice, to regal the neighborhood kids with stories of imagination.

As his children grew older, stories were fewer, replaced by sage advice and stern wisdom.

Yet, no matter the situation there was always a place for a laugh and no matter what life through at him he came back with a plan and a defining grit of determination.

I, Rottisha Mewborn, his great grand daughter (one of many) who he and his wife took in at two weeks old will remember going on walks, watching the Muppets, Bill Cosby and father daughter dances.

I will remember him starting a fun raiser at my grade school, St. Joseph’s in Fairhaven to purchase a school bus and to start a school newspaper by selling apple cider.

I take with me being able to hold his hand and calling on him to come sit in my room as a child when I was too scared of the dark to sleep.

I will always be grateful for the love of reading he instilled in me and his love of the blues.

I am thankful for the electricity, roof over my head, clothes on back and food to eat.

That as a child my biggest worry was if he took the dogs for a walk or if he would get out of the hospital in time for dance, piano recitals, figure skating shows and plays.

He never missed a single one.

There was never a day in my 35 years that he didn't tell me that he loved me or gave me a kiss and or a hug.

The last words he said before leaving this earth were 'Very good.'

Lemar and Maggie Pipkins both passed at 89;

Now that the dash as through, this chapter on Sunday January 5th 2013 has ended, I will forever take him in my heart with me; my defender, my guardian, My GREAT & GRAND Father.

I will even miss, after his wife had passed his hilarious attempts to get the pretty nurses to come home with or when asked how he was feeling he would always say 'I feel so good I should be triplets'.

I know somewhere he is reunited with his 9 brothers and sisters, his wife and children who have gone before him.

But what I am most certain of is that he , Maggie, their daughter Stella Raudenbush and their son are in heaven laughing, being loved and without a doubt fishing.

Visiting Hours will be held at Nickerson-Bourne Funeral Home Thursday from 4-7PM. Funeral Mass will be held at St. Margret's Church in Buzzards Bay on Friday at 11AM. Burial with military honors to follow in Massachusetts National Cemetery, Bourne. For online guestbook, please visit www.NickersonBourneFuneralHome.com