Obituary of Steven Brian Hipps

Steven Brian Hipps, age 61, passed into spirit on Friday June 10, 2022 , with a family that loved him so much by his side. Steve fought a long and courageous battle against “the C word” and in the end, his enemy got the best of him. Steve would say it was not a fair fight. That his enemy was a coward that snuck up on him, tricked him, and kicked him while he was down. He was right! Combat can be cruel. Steve hated obituaries. He never understood how you just sum up someone’s life in a few sentences. It’d hard to do, we all get it. His life was so much more than a paragraph and a few choice words. But he also knows his siblings are stubborn, so he was going to get one anyways. We want you to know him and what a great guy he was and still is in our hearts. So here we go… He was a Navy Veteran that sailed the Pacific and spent his youth exploring the beautiful coasts of different countries, kissing a few girls, and driving his super-fast trans-am. He always had the best cars in the family, and that car was so cool. He was convinced he had pirate blood in him and was meant to explore the seas and find as much treasure as possible. He made his life his treasure and he lived it to the fullest. He was an adventurer who had a passion for scuba diving first and foremost, he was a black belt in Karate, enjoyed rock climbing, flying, hiking, firefighting and parachuting out of perfectly good airplanes, etc, etc. You name it, it is probably something he tried or wanted to. If it was a hobby that caught his interest, Steve dove in and learned everything he could about it, got all the widgets and whatchamacallits to go with it, and went for it with a full sail. There was nothing to fear in life it you lived it well! He read a lot of books on a lot of topics and enjoyed everything from a good magazine article to the classics to the most recent Clive Cussler novel. He built puzzles, and liked games, and was an openminded and avid learner of any topic presented to him. He was a wonderful son who always made sure his parents were taken care of until the very end. He was an amazing brother who bought the lunches, dished out the jokes and shared his life wisdom with a few f’ bombs thrown in every other word. He was the cool Uncle that bought the best Christmas presents, doled out the junk food money and rode all the crazy rides with you. He was a funny guy, a good friend, had a caring heart and was a hard worker at Lubrizol for many years. There is something unsettling on the seas when your ship loses an oarsmen, but those of us left behind will try and keep the boat afloat for a little while longer. He is survived by his siblings: Walter Hipps, Richard (JoEllen) Hipps, Della (Michael) White, Billy Hipps, Mike Hipps, Keith (Susan) Hipps, Delores Hipps, Vanessa (Jeff) Wright, Christina Hipps(Jim) and his many, many, nieces, and nephews. This obituary would not end if we typed them all up, but they know who they are and they know their Uncle Steve loved and adored them. He is preceded to the spirit world by his welcoming committee, which consists of his grandparents, his father Barton, his mother Filomena, his sister-in-law Nora and his brother from another mother, Randy Lamb. To honor his last requests, his celebration of life will be scheduled in the future and will only be for family. However, in his memory, please feel free to say a prayer to the North Star, whisper a wish on wave, or share a good tale of Steve’s life over a pint of rum like any good pirate would do. In closing, I will share a saying that hung on Steve’s wall associated with the Norse Gods about a place called Vahalla. It is said that it is reserved for those warriors who died in combat. No one can enter Valhalla without being a warrior. Steve was such a warrior! Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother. And my sister. And my brothers. Lo, there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning! Lo, they do call me. They bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Vahalla. Where the brave may live FOREVER. Ducro Funeral Services and Crematory, 4524 Elm Avenue, Ashtabula, Ohio is assisting the family. www.ducro.com