Michael Clark Tipps

We lost our beloved brother and uncle, Michael Clark Tipps, on June 5th, 2020. Clark was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on August 4th, 1956 but moved to Houston at the age of 10 and called Texas home. As luck would have it, the family moved in next to an Arabian horse breeder. Clark climbed over the neighbor's fence one day to ask for a job, and so began his deep love for horses and what would become a lifelong career in ranch management and hospitality. His love of all things cowboy continued while spending time with his aunt, uncle and many cousins on family farms in East Texas and Dallas. He had the most tender heart, and a kind and gentle spirit that was evident in his love for animals, babies, and all of his family. He relished in telling stories about his days working at the Astrodome, announcing at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, cooking on the Chuckwagon, and of his many cowboy adventures, of which there were quite a few! His membership in Tejas Vaqueros meant the world to him and he made many lifelong friendships.

Clark had a heart as big as Texas, eyes the color of the sky, and the sweetest smile. He will be remembered for his boisterous laugh, and the ability to make everyone he met feel like a longtime friend.

Clark is survived by his most cherished sisters, Mary Tipps and Helen Tipps Watkins, her husband Sandy Watkins, nephew Will Watkins and nieces Maggie Watkins and Elizabeth Garrett. The family has been touched by the outpouring of love from the many who reached out to them, from multigenerational friends to acquaintances whose paths crossed Clark's over the years.

The family plans to hold a private service, but donations in his memory may be made to the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo Educational Fund, HLSR Educational Fund, PO Box 20070, Houston, TX 77225 (https://www.rodeohouston.com/Educational-Support/Commitment) or East Texas Food Bank, ATTN: Development Department, 3201 Robertson Road,Tyler, TX 75701 (https://www.easttexasfoodbank.org/donatenow/).