Highlights

In the last months of my dad’s life, he put some thought into what his obituary would say about his life. In classic “Howard style” his version started: “I was born on a dark and stormy night.”

Missouri home

Indeed there was a storm the day he was born, March 28, 1938 in Niangua, Missouri (always pronounced “Missoura,” being the native Missourian he was) and his father (George William Rippee) was delayed getting home while on his milk run.

Howard was born in his grandmother’s house, the second of four children to Gladys Elizabeth (McMenus) and George William Rippee.

Gladys and George Rippee 1967, Seattle, WA

The family moved to Seattle in 1942 where they lived at Holly Park until 1953 when they moved to West Seattle.

 

Mary, Howard, George Jr, and Christa 1953

After graduating from West Seattle High School in 1957, he attended the University of Washington for a quarter. Howard married Carol Diane Newhall in March 1959 and then joined the Army. He was stationed in Japan for 2 years with the Army Security Agency. Howard and Carol were married for 13 years and had 3 children.

Maija and Howard 1977

In 1977, Howard married Maija Huttula Harper and moved to Ballard. The family moved to Lynnwood in 1980 where he lived until his death.

Thanksgiving 1977

Howard was a printer. First in the family business of Pacific Multiforms and then started his own small printing business called Rippee Printing in 1984 until he retired in 2007.



Howard, Chopaka Mountain, 1976




Maija, Chopaka Mountain 1976

He was an avid outdoorsman. Fly fishing for trout on the North Fork of the Clearwater River and Kelly Creek in Idaho were highlights of each year. As a young man he started hunting for grouse and deer on Chopaka Mountain with his father and family friends. As we rode up the mountain roads he would point out places where his father would set up camp for the month of September each year as well as old mines, cowboy cabins, and homesteads.


Many family adventures happened on his property on Palmer Lake in north central Washington. He was very proud to have a place on the lake where we could all go for vacation.
 

Howard, Palmer Lake, 1983

Howard is survived by his loving wife Maija (Huttula), daughters Liz Butowicz, Lisa (Erin) Harper, and Holly Harper; sons Ted (Amy) and Matt (Kristine); 15 grandchildren; brother George (Carolyn); brother-in-law Fred Bender; many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. He was preceded in death by both parents and his sisters Mary (Fred) Bender and Christa Pogue.