Sarah J. Tipka

Sarah J. Fosbrink Tipka was born April 23, 1945 to Dr. E. L. Fosbrink and Mary Elizabeth Humke Fosbrink. The Fosbrink family valued education, integrity, and community service, values which Sarah embodied throughout her life.

A woman of boundless energy and enthusiasm, Sarah managed to fit not one, but two, successful careers into one lifetime. After earning a BA from Purdue University in 1967 and an MA from Michigan State University in 1968, she began 21 years of service as an elementary school teacher. During this time, she was president of the Pike Classroom Teachers’ Association (Pike Township Schools, Indianapolis, Indiana) and served on the local classroom teachers’ collective bargaining committee.

In 1984 Sarah was hired by William N. Tipka, an independent oil and gas producer in Ohio, to work part time during her summer vacation as a leasing agent. This summer job turned her life in more than one new direction. She joined the Ohio Oil and Gas Association (OOGA) in 1985 and Desk and Derrick in 1988. In 1989 Sarah married her longtime friend, William’s son Alan W. Tipka.

Sarah became a member of OOGA's Public Relations Committee in 1995 and was appointed a charter member of the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program Board in 1998. In 2007 Sarah received the OOGA Patriot Award; she was inducted into the OOGA Hall of Fame in 2011.

The accolades for Sarah’s outstanding contributions to the oil and gas industry continued to pour in. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southeastern Ohio Oil & Gas Association in 2017. In 2019 Sarah was honored with the Ohio Oil and Gas Energy Education Program Legacy Award. The Ohio Natural Energy Institute’s Inaugural Sarah J. Tipka Excellence in Energy Education Award, instituted in 2024, represents the capstone of a stellar career and embodies the enduring legacy of Sarah’s professional accomplishments.

Sarah Tipka was much more than her professional accomplishments. She always gave unstintingly of herself to her family and friends. Her laugh brought the sun out on a rainy day. Her hugs could mend a broken heart. Sarah was not only an educator, but also a physician, a healer. Her death diminishes everyone who knew and loved her.

Sarah is survived by her husband, Alan W. Tipka; stepdaughters Gwen Jones (Christa) and Laura Tipka; sister Susan West (David); and an extensive extended family.

Sarah died too soon, but she died as she lived, with a heart full of love and hope. A celebration of her life will be held in the Geib Funeral Center at Dover on Sunday, December 29, 2024, at 3 PM where the family will greet guests during a dessert reception from 2:00 -3:00 PM. Private burial will take place in the Dover Burial Park.