Clarence "Sonny" Kipp

Clarence "Sonny" Eugene Kipp passed away in his home the morning of Thursday, November 7 after a life made rich by family, friends, and all of his hobbies. Sonny was born on August 28, 1939 in Hudson, Michigan, but his family moved frequently due to his father's work. Sonny was friendly and outgoing, making friends easily as they moved from place to place. In his late teens the family moved to Barryton, and Sonny helped with many chores around their farm. This continued even after he began working 53 miles away, as a welder at White Cloud Manufacturing. It was at this time that Sonny met Willidean "Willi" Morse. After dating for three years, often supervised by Sonny's sisters, the pair married in 1962.
Family and friendships meant the world to Sonny. He was always willing to set aside time to help a sibling with a project, take his three children, Kandy, Christie, and Russell, on family vacations, and visit relatives, and he eventually relished his role as grandfather to his three grandchildren and four great grandchildren. He never missed a family milestone or important moment in their lives, and could often be seen with a camcorder perched on his shoulder. He even extended this care to the community, spending time coaching rocket football and little league baseball. Those close to Sonny also knew how much he enjoyed a good game of cards. He could shuffle and deal a hand with expert swiftness and took care to teach his children and grandchildren some of his favorite games.
The word handy does not come close to describing the array of skills Sonny came to possess. He worked on his parents' farm, held jobs in welding and construction, and spent 30 years working for Safeway, Wolohan, and ultimately CML Lumber; he retired in 2007. Sonny stayed busy outside of work as well. In his younger days, he often spent his weekends working on cars, aiding his children with their home improvement projects, and helping build swing sets and playhouses for his grandchildren.
Everyone who knew Sonny knew he loved spending time outdoors fishing, hunting, and looking for morel mushrooms. It didn't matter the season - he always enjoyed a day on the lake with friends and family and shared this love with younger generations. Sonny enjoyed deer and turkey hunting and even went on an elk hunting trip to Colorado. In his later years, he found joy in watching the
birds, squirrels, deer, and other wildlife from his seat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee.
Sonny was predeceased by his daughter, Kandy Kipp, parents Charles and Florence Kipp, and siblings Darlene, Lucille, Carroll, and Cheryl. He is leaving behind his wife of 62 years, Willidean Kipp, daughter Christie (Jeff) Steele, son Russell (Donna) Kipp, grandchildren Samantha (Adam) Engel, Amanda (Brian) Wood, and Cody Kipp, and great grandchildren Keith Wood, Mason Kipp, Jackson Kipp, and Cayden Kipp, as well as sisters Diana and Patty, and brother Charles, Jr. A visitation will be held at Crandell Funeral Home in White Cloud on Thursday, November 14th from 1:00 - 2:00, with the funeral service to follow at 2:00. After the funeral service, family and friends are welcome to join the family at the Sherman Township Hall for a luncheon.
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