Obituary of Joan I. Lippitt

Joan Ilda Kadlecek was born on June 28, 1928 in Englewood Colorado to Vilma and Joseph Kadlecek, the fourth of seven children. She had two sisters (Mary and Ruth) and four brothers (Bud, Jack, Frank and Jim) She recalled a very happy childhood growing up on a dairy farm and raising sugar beets in Atwood, Colorado. She skipped from second to third grade after beet harvest break allowing her to graduate from high school a year early. Her father encouraged her love of softball, letting her out of her chores when she had softball practice. In May of 1946, she met Robert (Bob) Lippitt on a blind date, and they were married that October. Their early years of marriage involved moves for jobs in northeastern Colorado and southern Wyoming. In 1955 they moved to Byers with three babies in tow (Bobby, Doug and Cliff), where Bob initially managed the grain elevator and Joan worked as the bookkeeper at the elevator and then at the bank, ultimately she opened a paint store. In 1957, the family moved into the house on Owens Ave. The family home was the subject of multiple renovations over the years, with all of the children learning how to use a hammer and a paintbrush. As the family expanded, with the addition of Don, Charlie, Becky and Jody, family values, of both work and having fun, that her father taught her were passed to her children. An avid baseball fan, Joan supported all of her children in their sports activities, from the early years of driving the little league team to games, to cheering in the stands regardless of the sport. In 1974 they purchased what is now Lippitt Hardware, sold it in 1980, and returned to ownership in 1986. While it is still Lippitt Hardware it was purchased by Doug in 1999, where Joan continued to serve customers until April of this year. Joan is survived by children Bobby (Doug) Thomas, Doug Lippitt, Cliff (Dana) Lippitt, Becky (Bill) Gunter and Jody (Terry) Smith, twelve grandchildren, eighteen great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years, her six siblings Mary, Bud, Ruth, Jack, Frank, and Jim, her sons, Don and Charlie and granddaughter, Brittany Lippitt. Memorial Contributions can be made to Byers Fire Protection Dist. #9 P.O. Box 85, Byers, CO 80103