Jean Pippenger's Obituary
Laura Jean Pippenger (known as “Jean”), aged 96, peacefully passed away on March 12th, 2024, in Lucas, Texas. She was born on August 7th, 1927, in Memphis, Tennessee, to John Collins Boswell and Elizabeth Pauline Lendermon Boswell.
As a young woman Jean worked as a secretary for Memphis Light, Gas & Water. She attended First Evangelical Church in Memphis where she met her husband, Dale. They were married in 1950. Their first child, Wayne Eugene and their daughter Laura Dale were both born in Memphis. Their daughter Diane Elaine was born after the family relocated to Richardson, Texas where Dale had obtained a job at Texas Instruments.
During her time in Tennessee as teenager, Jean became heavily involved in Young Life. When Jean and Dale first relocated to Texas in the late 1950s, they soon realized Young Life had no presence in the area and they became actively involved in starting the first Young Life Clubs in the Richardson area. Jean also worked as a secretary for the Young Life office for a short time before becoming a full-time homemaker and very active mother to her three children who were also very involved in Young Life for many years. The legacy they left by supporting Young Life’s ministry to teenagers in this area has made a deep impact on many lives.
The family attended Northwest Bible Church in Dallas for many years where Jean and Dale both served as youth group volunteer leaders. In 1978 they began attending Richland Bible Fellowship, now known as Woodcreek Church in Richardson, TX.
Jean and Dale enjoyed ice-skating during their early years and made sure it became a family tradition to go ice-skating at Fair Park every year. Jean also enjoyed crafting and sewing during her spare time. She took great pride in making clothes and Halloween costumes for their 3 children over the years. Her talent and joy for crafting brought her to the State Fair of Texas, where she entered and won first place in the arts showing for her crewel stitched rooster on burlap.
During her later years, Jean became fascinated with learning about her family history and ancestors and began her journey into genealogy. Jean and Dale took this as an opportunity to indulge in their love of traveling and visited many different places all over the country in search of family records. As grandparents, they also enjoyed hitting the road with their grandson Daniel in their motor home. They were married 63 years.
Jean is preceded in death by her loving husband Dale, her parents, John and Elizabeth Boswell; her brother, John Collins Boswell, and her son, Wayne Eugene Pippenger.
She is survived by her daughters Laura Dale Bloch and Diane Elaine Gresham; grandchildren Daniel Pippenger, Megan Gresham, Maxwell Gresham and his wife Meleigh Gresham; nieces Judy Cannon, Beth Pattillo and her husband Jerry Pattillo, and nephew Jack Boswell and his wife Vicki Boswell.
Jean leaves her family with a lifetime of wonderful memories and will be greatly missed by all those who knew and loved her.
The family invites you to join them for a Visitation held from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday March 24th, 2024, at Woodcreek Church in Richardson. Funeral Service will be at 10:00 a.m. on Monday March 25th, 2024, at Woodcreek Church in Richardson.
Flowers may be delivered between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. at Woodcreek Church 3400 E Renner Rd, Richardson, TX 75082. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Young Life general fund. Contact Young Life at giving.younglife.org or P.O. Box 520 Colorado Springs, CO 80901-0520, phone 877-438-9572.
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