Ralph Phipps Obituary

Ralph F. Phipps

Peterborough, NH — Ralph F Phipps, our loving Dad, brother, grandfather, uncle, son and friend passed away unexpectedly on June 18, 2022. Born August 15, 1935 in Braintree, MA Dad attended Braintree high where he played football and the sax in a band with his friends. Dad attended Ithaca College where he dreamed of becoming a professional musician. His sight-reading class there gave him great skills for the rest of his life singing in the church choir at the Unitarian Church in Norwell, MA and Peterborough, NH. Later Dad graduated from Babson College and went on to a successful career as a computer salesman. Dad married Alice Newman, his high school sweetheart and together they raised a family of five, Tamba, Tobee, Terri, Thorn and Thayer, mainly in Peterborough. Sometimes road warrior and longtime commuter Dad loved his family and fixing up our old house in town with the great barn and the front and back staircases so you could run up and down and round and round. Many great holidays took place in that house over the years as we grew up. After their divorce, Dad married Ernestine Blodgett and welcomed into his family three more children Victoria, Dana and Abby. Dad and Ernie were married for many years and built a great house where they surrounded themselves with the wonderful nature hidden in downtown Peterborough - deer, foxes, hummingbirds, turkeys and even the occasional bear passing through the yard. Dad cared for Ernie through her battles with Parkinson's disease and mourned her passing. He found great pride and joy in his wonderful grandchildren Dylan, Hannah, Harrison, Hunter, Josie, Lexie and Ryan and loved them so much. He mourned the loss of his children Terri and Abby way before their time. Through family Ralph and Alice reconnected and came to love each other again and shared many happy times in their final years. When Mother died of cancer in 2020, he mourned with us.

During Covid Dad spent most of his time in a family bubble or shopping at Roy's, listening to jazz, classical or Willie Nelson, mowing the lawn and watching sports. He was an expert tour guide of the hidden backroads of the area and drove us through all of them. He was happy and recently told our sister that for him, every day was Father's Day because he loved his family. And we loved him.

A combined memorial service for Ralph and Alice is scheduled for August 6, 2022 at 1pm at the Unitarian Church in Peterborough, NH for family and friends and his ashes will be spread upon the winds.