Richard Frank KIPP

Richard Frank Kipp

July 16, 1933–November 2, 2024

Richard Frank Kipp was born in July 1933 in New York, New York, to Frank H. Kipp and Madeline Jacob Kipp. He had one older sister, Marjorie. Growing up in Queens, New York, he was exposed to diverse cultures and entertainment opportunities. While a teen, he was able to catch a show by a rising young crooner by the name of Frank Sinatra. He had many interests and was awarded the title “Live Wire” in his high school hall of fame.

Dick attended Indiana University intending to enter the medical field, but ultimately majored radio and television broadcasting. He enlisted in the Army ROTC to help finance his education. While at IU, he met and fell in love with Normaglen Kipp, who was doing graduate study in radio and TV. They married in 1955, after Dick received his BS degree, and he began two years of service as a Tank Unit Commander with the 1st Armored Division (“Old Ironsides) at Fort Polk, Louisiana. Toward the end of his service, he and Normaglen welcomed their first child. Upon his discharge at the rank of 1st Lieutenant, the family moved to the Cincinnati, Ohio, area, where Dick worked in furniture sales and their second child was born. In 1960, looking for an ideal spot to raise their family, Dick and Normaglen packed all their belongings into a small U-Haul trailer and moved to faraway Seattle, Washington. A third child arrived, and they moved south to the Washington State capital, Olympia. Ultimately their brood totaled seven children.

Concurrently with the move to Olympia, Dick began work as a pharmaceutical representative for Lederle. His new career took advantage of his personal charm and lifelong interest in medicine. Within a few years, he joined pharmaceutical giant Merck, where he remained for 30 years. His work took him around the Puget Sound region, and the family became accustomed to having boxes of medication and promotional merchandise stored in the garage. Dick and Normaglen made sure their children were exposed to classical and contemporary culture, playing Bach and Brubeck on the phonograph and stocking bookshelves with art and literature.

Dick loved puttering around the house. In the midst of the mess generated by seven creative children, he could be found happily cleaning crevices in the bathroom with a Q-tip. He often sang while he worked, favoring pop tunes from the 1950s and musical theater numbers. He regaled the children with colorful stories from his childhood in New York, where one of his best friends had the improbable name of Horst Kretschmer, and he knew Stooge Moe Howard’s son. He loved comedy—Jonathan Winters, Don Rickles, and George Carlin were some favorite comedians—and passed on his irreverent sense of humor to his children. He had a rich vocabulary of swear words, which he employed when he was frustrated by others’ incompetence—and he was often frustrated by others’ incompetence.

Although Dick and Normaglen divorced, they remained congenial co-parents and friends. After Dick retired from Merck, he remained active, exercising, playing tennis, traveling, and enjoying his growing collection of grandchildren. He liked looking sharp and was often seen in a stylish leather jacket and newsboy cap. He had a powerful sweet tooth and liked to cook gourmet dishes; after a trip to New Orleans, he made Bananas Foster so many times the kids finally asked him to retire the recipe. He also became an avid ballroom dancer, and it was through dancing that he met his last wife, Nora DiVincenzo. A born performer, he finally got his chance to take the stage, writing and performing in highly entertaining musical revues at his retirement community.

Never one for long goodbyes, Dick snuck away from this life on November 2, 2024, at the age of 91. He was preceded in death by his wives Normaglen and Nora; his parents and sister, Marjorie; and Dick and Normaglen’s infant son, Matthew. He is survived by his seven children, their spouses, and numerous grandchildren: Carrie and Andy Howard, Allison, Tessa, Maisie, and Lily; Kevin Kipp and Cheryl Tompkins; Christie Kipp, Sam, and Zoe; Lisa Kipp, Ashmeena, and Raj; Shawn and Tom Harper, Alexander, Andrew, and Sasha Dempewolf; Shannon Kipp and Brandon Jepson and Jasper; and David and Angie Kipp, Megan, Dana Schuetz, and Hayley Barto. He was truly an original, and whenever we laugh, swear, or clean something with a Q-tip we will think of him.

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