Gary William Phipps

Red Bank, NJ - Gary William Phipps, son of H.Otis and Marguerite Phipps, died on March 17, 2024, in Red Bank, New Jersey. Born in 1938 in Mattoon, Illinois, Gary grew up in a blend of farm and "town" life in rural Illinois, his first big adventure involving traveling to an adjacent state to attend college at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to major in electrical engineering. In his final years in Terre Haute, he met and married Elizabeth Ramsey, with whom he shared 53 years of marriage.

Gary moved east to New Jersey to work for Bell Labs, first as systems engineer for 15 years, then in Long Lines marketing for AT&T, and ultimately as a manager (which led to his acquiring a second Masters degree, this one an MBA). Many of those years were in New Jersey, where he and Elizabeth raised their daughters, attended Red Bank Methodist Church, tended a yard and garden that were a source of pride, and learned to sail and enjoy the beach, though they always considered themselves midwesterners. They moved to Kansas City in 1983, where Gary supported the restructuring of ATT, and then to Atlanta, where he retired after 35 years with the company. For several years afterward, Gary tutored math at Perimeter Community College, enjoying the opportunity to support less-eager math learners in the joys of statistics. When Liz's Alzheimers took hold, Gary devoted himself to her care so that she could extend her time at home.

Following Liz's death, Gary spent several years in Southport, North Carolina, joining a companion, Sandra Donovan, that he met on a river cruise. In 2023, he moved to New Jersey to be near his daughter Lisa (and reasonably near his daughter Debbie), and ultimately settled at the Atrium. Though his time in New Jersey was short, he welcomed the return to family and the chance to revisit old haunts and live riverside.

Gary will be remembered for many things by a family deeply devoted to him. He told stories well and often; favorites included those of him helping to build a grain elevator or cleaning the curved glass at the Arcade drug store during his first job in his early years. Car trips with Gary were a mix of his explaining engineering marvels along the way (suspension bridges, or the "cut" and "fill" required to create highways), games of Ghost (Gary excelled in games requiring vocabulary skill, and was an aficionado of the NYT crossword puzzle for much of his life), and uninhibited car dancing if the right song came on. His grandchildren found him an eager and imaginative playmate and generous host and cheerleader, and all four carry forward his influence in the way they live their lives with integrity and care. Multi-generational family celebrations were highlights of his recent years, and he always made time to offer encouragement, patient listening, advice, and gentle correction when needed. His sense of humor was a trademark, and he appreciated hearing a good story as he did telling one. Many will all miss his laugh.

Gary is survived by his two daughters, Debora Phipps of Providence, RI, and Lisa Karcher of Red Bank, NJ; four grandchildren, Matthew, Michael, Hailey, and Lindsay (of San Francisco, Houston, Seattle, and Denver-testament that love knows no mileage); three great-grandchildren; and many friends from bridge groups, reading clubs, church involvement, college alumni functions, and any neighborhood he lived in. The family will celebrate his life with a private memorial.