William Edward Bippus M.D.

William E. Bippus, M.D. GREENVILLE - William Edward Bippus, M.D., 92, died Monday, Dec. 20, 2004. The memorial service will be Saturday at Lyndhurst Plantation, 96 Bippus Road, Greenville. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to The Silver Lining Foundation, 1490 Ute Ave., Aspen, CO 81611 (970-925-9540 or www.silverlining.org), which benefits children with cancer. Beggs Funeral Home Monticello Chapel (850-997-5612) is handling arrangements. He was born March 9, 1912, and died at 92 1/2 years young. He was a beloved son, husband, father and physician who was chief of surgery in West Palm Beach for three hospitals and practiced medicine for 45 years. He was born in Wheeling, W.Va., to Dr. and Mrs. E.S. Bippus. His father was head of Wheeling General Hospital, and his mother was Margaret Beckett. His brother, "Bud" Bippus, was a Flying Tiger with Schinault in China; his sister, Janey, a pharmacist; and sister Helen, a physical education instructor. He also had a baby sister whom he loved and raised. He attended Wheeling High School and skipped his senior year. He and his father hunted in Canada. He entered the University of Virginia undergraduate school at age 16. After graduating, he entered the medical school at the University of Virginia. After graduating in 1936, he married Myrtle Josephine Hendry. His first year of internship was under his father at Wheeling General Hospital. Since interns were not allowed to be married, his wife had to return to Monticello. His first year of residency was a Cook County General Hospital and his second year of residency was in Pittsburgh. He and his wife moved to West Palm Beach in 1939. Margaret Caroline "Sunny" Bippus was born June 16, 1940, and William E. Bippus Jr. arrived Nov. 29, 1941, one week before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. After that, Dr. Bippus no longer stood diaper duty and enlisted in the Army Air Corps as a surgeon. He spent two years in England, France and Germany and loved to ride his 1940 Norton Lieutenants model motorcycle. He was injured in the Battle of the Bulge while operating in a field hospital. An artillery shell exploded on the tent and killed 27 nurses and doctors. Miraculously the X-ray machine protected him from the blast. He was unconscious for three weeks; he was awarded the Purple Heart. He served under Gen. Patton and was honorably discharged with the rank of captain. He returned to West Palm Beach to his family and once again began his practice. He had many passions and interests: flying, tennis, refinishing furniture, making stain-glass, computers and fishing and duck hunting with his wife in the Everglades. His time, passion and total commitment went to the care and treatment of his patients. He never put himself or his family first. They all knew his heart was in taking care of people. He was an old-fashioned doctor. He practiced for 45 years and went to Lyndhurst Plantation in 1984. His wife, Josephine, had purchased the plantation with the help of his best friend, Chief Justice Charlie Fulton, without his knowledge in 1965. His remaining 20 years at Lyndhurst Plantation were spent enjoying the outdoors. He loved Tennessee walking horses and raised a colt, Ebony, and a filly, Dixie Josephine. The filly survived West Nile virus after being down for 15 days. He was a man among boys, a man for all seasons and respected and loved by many. He is survived by a brother, E.S. "Bud" Bippus of Wheeling; a sister, Betty Lou Donovan of Needham, Mass.; a daughter, Caroline "Sunny" Bippus of West Palm Beach; a son, William E. Bippus Jr. of Monticello; and a grandson, William Edward "Billy" Bippus of Monticello.