William H. Tipsword Jr.

CDR WILLIAM H. TIPSWORD, Jr.

August 26, 1947 – September 15, 2025

CDR William H. Tipsword, Jr. USN (Ret.), (78) of Woodbridge, Virginia was known to family and friends as Bill. He passed away peacefully on September 15, 2025 while in Hospice Care at INOVA Hospital in Alexandria, Virginia.

Bill was born on August 26, 1947, in Tifton, Georgia to William H. Tipsword, Sr. and Sylvia Phelps Tipsword. He graduated from Crossland High School in Temple Hills, Maryland in 1966. Growing up, Bill loved baseball, football, and track. He excelled in the intermediate hurdles and was the lead-off leg of Crossland's state champion 1600 meter relay team. He received a track scholarship to the University of Maryland where he lettered in track for three consecutive years. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland in 1970.

While in college, Bill was accepted into the U.S. Navy's Aviation Reserve Officer Candidate Program. After graduation, he reported to Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida to complete Officer Candidate School. He was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy in 1970. He then completed flight training in both fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft at Naval Air Station, Whiting Field and Naval Air Station, Ellyson Field, Florida. After this training, he received his wings of gold and was designated as a naval aviator. Bill loved flying, and he especially loved flying helicopters. His first duty station was with Helicopter Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron Eight (HS-8) at Naval Air Station, Imperial Beach, California. While there, he met and married Ensign Arta Mae Deines on June 21, 1973. They were happily married for 52 years.

Bill served proudly for 22 years on active duty that included several duty stations and deployments to the Pacific, the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean. After retiring from the Navy, Bill was able to fulfill a dream – he became a track coach at Westfield High School in Chantilly, VA. He coached both boys and girls in the hurdle and relay events and helped lead the Boys' Div.1 outdoor track team to a state championship in 2004.

Bill was preceded in death by his father, Lt. Colonel William H. Tipsword, USAF, (Ret.) and his mother, Sylvia P. Tipsword. He is survived by his wife, Arta, and son, William D. Tipsword and wife Lindsey. He is also survived by his sister, Sylvia G. Hahn and her husband Jack, and by his brother, John A. Tipsword, and his wife Terri. He was the proud grandfather of Elise L. Tipsword. He noticed early on that she possessed a natural ability to move gracefully and effortlessly when running, and he was looking forward to the day when he would see her run on a track.

Memorials may be given to the Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS) Foundation.

Funeral services at Arlington National Cemetery are pending.

Arrangements are by Everly-Wheatley Funeral Home in Alexandria, Virginia.