Rickey "Rick" Carl Lipp

Rickey ‘Rick’ Carl Lipp was born April 25, 1950 in Frankfort, Michigan to Carl and Donna Lipp. He passed away at home surrounded by his loved ones on September 6th, 2026. He is survived by his wife, Carol Ann Weaver (married November 20, 1971); children Jason Lipp (Krista), Benjamin Lipp, Kimberly Lipp Lockett and Tina Li (Jay): grandsons Jacob Lipp (Bri) and Brendin Lipp; great grandchildren Isaiah Lipp, Nolan Lipp, Oliver Jakeman, and Jameson Lipp; sisters Penny Seward (Kerry) and Audrey Browning (Dave); as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.

God was the center of his life and he made sure his family knew and loved the Lord. He cherished his time with the Lord whether it was Sunday school, bible studies, or church services. You could often find him reading his bible and spending time in prayer. He never missed an opportunity to spread God’s word as well as offering a hand to those in need.

Rick was very much a hometown boy. His love for fixing cars with the guys started at a very young age and continued until he was unable to hold his tools. They would spend hours tearing cars down and rebuilding to make them go faster. At age 8, he learned to drive his dad's truck. They would chop wood and he was responsible for driving the truck. Toward the end stages of life, he wanted to rebuild a Harley Davidson motorcycle as well as restore a 1947 Chrysler Sedan with his daughter. Unfortunately, his health declined and the projects had to stop.

After graduating with an Associates in Automotives as well as a Bachelors of Science in Education, Rick spent almost 28 years working for General Motors. He started at Oldsmobile, in the Lansing area, the day the millionth car rolled off the line and he was there to close all the call centers for Oldsmobile. He spent the last five years establishing a call center in Portland, Oregon. When the GM call center left, he retired (2005). After his retirement from GM, he taught in the automotive department for Linn Benton Community College as well as Philomath High School. His hobby of building, cleaning and shooting firearms also led to a part job at Sportsman's Warehouse in the gun department while in retirement.

His passion for all things outdoors included hunting, fishing/ice fishing in Crystal Lake and nearby rivers, and taking in the views. After moving to Oregon in 1999, he liked fishing and crabbing in the Pacific Ocean. He treasured fishing and camping with his children and grandchildren, especially going back to Michigan to fish the Eaton Rapids Dam with his grandsons. His love for the outdoors led him to be a leader of his sons’ Boy Scout Troop. He truly shined teaching and providing an example of trust, companionship and positive relationships for the scouts, something he hoped would continue in their lives. Rick enjoyed road trips, even the smallest, as well as being a tour guide when people came out to visit Oregon. He took great pleasure in the history of all things and passed that interest down to his daughter, often spending time in museums and antique shops with her. As a music lover, he enjoyed attending his children’s band and choir concerts as well as the musicals they were in. He played the trumpet and the sousaphone (during marching band) while in school. Rick went to many different schools in the Benzie County area until the end of 9th grade; eventually moving to Stockbridge and finally graduating in 1968 from Holt High School in Holt, Michigan.

Rick was a proud Naval Serviceman and loved his country dearly. Signing up for the Navy right after high graduation, he served in the Vietnam War. He graduated from bootcamp and corpsman school in Chicago. After graduating from bootcamp and corpsman school, he was stationed at the Subic Base Hospital in the Philippines. He served aboard the USS Ranger CVA 61 with his brother, had a tour on the USS Plymouth Rock, and was stationed at the San Francisco Shipyard (later called Hunter’s Point Naval Shipyard). Lastly, he finished his career in the Naval Reserve Force in Michigan. He established a strong bond with his service buddies Frank Lawson, Dusty Rhoades, Elmer Tivner and Butch Viitala, who all became lifelong friends.

“Fair winds and following seas, shipmate. We have the watch.”

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Wounded Warriors (4899 Belfort Rd, Suite 300, Jacksonville, FL 32256) or Willamette Vital Health Hospice (1015 3rd St. NW, Salem, OR 97304)