Ross L. Pipes

Ross Lee Pipes, age 84, died in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on November 5, 2025. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Nancy (Wilson) Pipes; their daughter, Marta Pipes; and four children from his previous marriage: Stephanie Curran (and husband Phil), Mary Beth Leininger (and husband Paul), John Pipes (and wife Lisa), and Jennipher Rammel. Ross leaves five grandchildren Travis, Allisa, John, Mason, and Emma and six great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his brother, Jerry Pipes, and by his first wife, Sharon Coyle.

Ross was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 21, 1941, where he was raised by his beloved parents, Lloyd and Charlotte Pipes. He grew up surrounded by family grandparents, great-grandparents, and two aunts, Barbara and Janet who were active in his upbringing. The Northside Church of God provided a nurturing presence throughout his childhood.

Ross graduated from North Central High School in Indianapolis in 1959, and went on to attend Anderson University in Anderson, Indiana. He was a disc jockey at Anderson’s WHUT radio during the station’s transition from religious programming to rock. Following college, he served in the Air Force Reserves for six years. He worked on the loading dock at L.S. Ayres department store in downtown Indianapolis, and soon progressed to a retail management position, sparking a lifelong dream of opening his own store.

In 1966, he began a long and productive career with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance system. After holding management positions at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Indiana, he was recruited in 1977 by the national Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association in Chicago to provide management consulting services. In this capacity, he worked with Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies in dozens of states throughout the U.S. In 1986, he and Nancy moved to Durham, North Carolina., where Ross offered services independently to Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies until his retirement in 2006. He also joined with Nancy in owning and operating a technical writing company, TechniProse, Inc.

Ross’s non-work-related travel took him to Mexico, Guatemala, Scotland, France, Italy, and his beloved Ireland. He was devoted to projects for the Mam people of Guatemala, traveling there in 1990 on a mission trip. In 1991, as a “side gig,” Ross opened World Traveller Books and Maps on Elliott Road in Chapel Hill. This independent store enabled Ross and Nancy to share their passion for travel with the community. The store continued operating into the late 1990s.

At home, Ross found happiness through cooking for his family and for his church, United Church of Chapel Hill. He compiled cookbooks of family recipes, and he maintained a food blog during retirement. He loved attending concerts, whether it was the Chicago Symphony, the N.C. Symphony, or folk and bluegrass groups at local venues. He was an avid reader, and enjoyed writing posts for his book review blog. Ross was known for his storytelling. The family is grateful that he spent countless hours during retirement writing his childhood memories, as well as treasured stories about his great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents. During his last five years, he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, making his written memories all the more precious.

Ross will be remembered for his love of life, his enthusiastic, generous, and joyful personality, and his warm, ever-present smile.

In lieu of flowers, please consider giving a memorial contribution to the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina at the link below in Ross's memory. 

https://secure.foodbankcenc.org/site/Donation2?df_id=10523&mfc_pref=T&10523.donation=form1&chosen=60&s_src=headerbutton&s_subsrc=website