Joseph Ryan Sipe

Funeral Services for Joseph Sipe will be held Friday, April 24, 2009, 11:00 a.m. at Valley Baptist Church, 4800 Fruitvale Avenue, with interment to follow at Greenlawn Southwest. Joe Sipe was tragically taken from this world to be with our Father on Saturday, April 18, 2009. Joe's untimely passing was a shock to all who knew him. The tall, strapping, intelligent, caring, and loving gentleman was a giant of a man and in more ways than one can count. Joe could be in a room full of strangers and within five minutes it was as if everybody had known Joe all their lives. Joe was a very gifted craftsman with tools and problem solver for large projects in the fabrication industry. He was born to John Sipe and Denise Messman on April 22, 1975, in Muncie, Indiana. Joe was raised in both Scottsdale, Arizona and Indianapolis, IN, where he participated in sports and was an avid, formidable wrestler in high school. Joe moved to Bakersfield in 1995 where he met Michelle Russell, who later became his loving wife. Joe was a loving, committed, dedicated family man who sadly leaves behind his wife Michelle and their young son Jeffrey Joseph "J.J." Sipe. J.J. was the love of Joe's life and rarely would one find the two separated, J. J. was as crazy about Joe as Joe was about J.J. They were working partners, golfing partners, best friends, and the truest picture of the mutual love of any father and son team. Joe would certainly agree that there is no stronger love than the love between a father and his son. "J. J. , your daddy will always be the voice of guidance and direction of right and wrong that you hear and feel in your heart in times of need". Joe also leaves behind his mother, Denise Messman, father John Sipe and wife Lynn Legg, his brother Christopher Sipe and wife Michelle, grandparents Helen Tetrault and Don and Martha Sipe, uncles and aunts John Tetrault, wife Lisa and family, Ken Tetrault, wife Doreen and family, Linda Reynard, husband Terry and family, Sandie Ma and family, neice and nephew Ryan Sipe and Addyson Sipe, in-laws Kevin and Roxie Russell, grandparents Ken and Norma O'Neal, brother-in-law Jeff Russell, sister-in-law Lisa Wilkins and husband Brett, Susan Bowser and husband Rodney, step-sister Ginni Bowman, husband Tim and family, step-brother Kevin Legg and family and many, many other special friends and associates. We know Joe is walking with our Father, for the Bible tells us,"...neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God..." Visitation for our beloved Joe will be held Thursday, April 23, 2009 from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Greenlawn Southwest Mortuary, 2739 Panama Lane in Bakersfield. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Jeffrey Joseph Sipe at any Chase Bank. Joseph Ryan Sipe "Joe" 1975 - 2009 Greenlawn Southwest Mortuary

This obituary was originally published in the Bakersfield Californian.