Obituary of Harry W. Rippel, Jr.
Harry W. "Rip" Rippel, Jr.
Olean, NY Harry W. "Rip" Rippel, Jr. of 924 N. Union Street passed away Tuesday (August 21, 2018) at the Olean General Hospital after a short illness, in the loving presence of his family.
Born March 22, 1930 in Batavia he was the son of Harry W. and Ruth Pierce Rippel, Sr. On March 25, 1961 in Wellsboro, PA he married Donna J. Glor who survives.
Rip was a 1948 graduate of Batavia High School and soon after, began employment with New York Telephone. He was inducted into the US Army during the Korean War where he served from 1950 to 1953. After his service he continued with the telephone company where he worked a total of 37 years until his retirement in 1986.
He and his wife lived in East Bethany for 43 years prior to moving to Olean in 2004. While in East Bethany he served a period of time as a constable for the town, was a past president of the Bethany Volunteer Fire Department and was an honorary member and former commander for the Batavia American Legion Glen S. Loomis Post 332. He was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America and in Olean he was a communicant of St. John's Catholic Church and a member of the St. Stephen's Club. He loved animals and enjoyed the company of many pets over the years, especially his most recent, but belated, dog "Rosie".
Surviving besides his wife Donna Spink Rippel are 5 children Kathleen (Chris Mohr) Rippel of Olean, Janet (Bobby Woolhizer) Rippel of Cuba, Timothy (Barbara Haight) Spink of Portville, Karen Jacek of Warsaw and Daniel Rippel of North Little Rock, AR; an "adopted son" and longtime friend Paul Adair of East Bethany; grandchildren William Rippel, Jeremy Rippel, Trisha Rippel, Joshua Frega, Christopher Jacek, Jaden Biscaro, Reyna Baker, Jacob Baker, Daniel Mansfield, Danae Rippel, Melissa Rippel, Brian Rippel, Robert Griffin and Victoria Rippel; numerous great grandchildren; a daughter-in-law Linda Rippel of Stafford and a nephew Brian (Carol) Glor of Oakfield.
He was predeceased by 3 sons William Rippel, Doug Rippel and Kevin Spink; 1 daughter Ann Rippel; 2 sons-in-law Robert Jacek and Jeffrey Biscaro and a grandson Samuel Griffin. He also mourned the loss of his best canine friend "Rosie".
A memorial mass will be celebrated on Thursday (September 27, 2018) at 10am in St. John's Church, 931 N. Union St., Olean. Friends are invited to attend. Burial with military honors will take place later in the Western New York National Cemetery, town of Pembroke in Genesee County.
Memorials may be made to Roswell Park Cancer Institute, 665 Elm St, Buffalo, NY 14203 or to the Cattaraugus County SPCA, PO Box 375, Olean, NY 14760.
Online condolences may be expressed at oleanfuneralhome.com. Arrangements are under the direction of the Casey, Halwig & Hartle Funeral Home, Olean.
