Lowell Phipps

Visitation will be Friday, January 21, from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home, 2827 North Oakland Avenue, and for one-half hour prior to the service to celebrate Lowells life, which will take place on Saturday, January 22, at 10:30 a.m., at First Congregational United Church of Christ, 3465 North MacArthur Road, Decatur. Interment will follow at Star of Hope Mausoleum. Memorials may be made to First Congregational Church, Decatur.Lowell was born on his grandparents farm in Hinton, West Virginia, on Mothers Day, May 8, 1927. He was the son of Raymond and Belva (Bolen) Phipps and he grew up in Beckley, West Virginia. He graduated from Beckley High School and was a veteran of WWII, serving in the U.S. Air Corps as a teletype operator. His time in the service eventually took him to Scott Air Force Base and to St. Louis, where he met the love of his life, Mary Lou Reutter. Lowell and Mary Lou were married on July 10, 1948, in Berger, Missouri. He attended Shurtleff College in Alton, Illinois, and graduated from Rankin Trade School in St. Louis in 1950. He served a five-year apprenticeship as a patternmaker at Belleville Pattern in Belleville, Illinois. He practiced the patternmaking trade at Belleville and Quincy, at General Motors in Marion, Indiana, and in Decatur, before opening his own business, Phipps Pattern, in 1973 in Decatur. Phipps Patterns was in business for 31 years, employing over 30 people in three different central Illinois locations. During retirement, Lowell enjoyed woodworking hobbies, making wooden clocks, violins, harps and dulcimers. He also enjoyed gardening and music.Lowell was always doing for someone else. His faith and his family were the most important things in his life. Lowell was a member of Woodland Chapel Presbyterian Church for 34 years, where he sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, led the youth group and served as a deacon and an elder. For the past ten years, Lowell has been a member of First Congregational Church, where he especially enjoyed the music of the Praise Band.Lowell is survived by his loving wife of over 62 years, Mary Lou; his daughters Penny (Tom) Kotal and Tricia Phipps Caldwell, and daughter-in-law Patty M. Phipps; sister Sheila (Ben) Eschenfelder; 12 grandchildren, Emily (Jeff) Lattz, Ellen (Adrian) Rust, Dr. Eric Kotal and fiancee Stephanie Suprenant, Jessica Phipps, Laurel Phipps, Colton Phipps, Rob Ross, Jessica Kreimeyer, Amber (Tony) Blum, Ashley Caldwell, Lindsey Caldwell and Brian Caldwell; 19 great-grandchildren, Grace, Ryan, Faith, and Jacob Lattz, Evelyn Jane Rust, Kyler Phipps and Kaylin Phipps-Garrett, Nate, Gregg, Aiden and Thatcher Ross, Haley Rhoads, Ella, Brennen and Chase Kreimeyer, Peyton and Mallory Blum, Dawson Lowell Caldwell and Tanner Jaxon Cox.Lowell was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Raymond Arlen Phipps, sister Loretta Phipps Garon, son Gregg W. Phipps, daughter Mary Kay Phipps, infant daughters Mary Beth and Rebecca Phipps, granddaughter Amy Phipps Caldwell, great-grandchildren, Adam and Sarah Lattz and Korbin Phipps Garrett.Lowell leaves behind a legacy of unconditional love, faith, integrity and goodness. He was a blessing to everyone who had the privilege of knowing him.Condolences may be left to the family at www.brintlingerandearl.com "
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