Richard Ipsen
Gales Ferry — Richard Frederic Ipsen, 82, of Gales Ferry, passed away unexpectedly on Friday, Aug 25, 2017, at Lawrence + Memorial Hospital. He was the son of Richard Peter Ipsen and Fern Collett.
He was born in Freeport, Ill., on Jan. 6, 1935, and grew up in Santa Clara, Calif., where his parents owned and operated a grocery store, the Agnew Tea Room. He graduated from Santa Clara High School in 1952. Richard attended an engineering program at San Jose State University and earned a B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Haven. He was an Air Force Aviation cadet and reservist from 1957 to 1962, where he flew T-28 Trojan aircraft.
Richard worked for the Westinghouse Electric Corp. for 35 years, starting as a mechanical draftsman in Sunnyvale, Calif. He left “sunny California” and came to Connecticut in 1962 for what was supposed to be a temporary assignment at Electric Boat. The temporary move to Connecticut became permanent after he met and married his wife of nearly 53 years, Linda Ipsen née Correira.
Richard was an avid cyclist and a member of the Pequot Cyclist Bicycle Club for many years. He completed many 100-mile “century” bike rides, including his favorite, the Flattest Century in the East, in Narragansett, R.I. He enjoyed music immensely and for a number of years played trombone in the Mystic Noank Community Band. He will be remembered by many as an excellent dancer and a mixer of dry martinis. His grandchildren believed he could fix anything.
In addition to his wife Linda, he is survived by their two children, Peter Ipsen of Alexandria, Va., and Wendy Salvesen of Stow, Scotland. His sister, Mary Spencer, and niece, Vicky Walasek, reside in Folsom, Calif. He will be greatly missed by his six grandchildren, William, Thomas and Evelyn Ipsen and Oscar, Iona and Henry Salvesen.
Funeral arrangements are being handled by the Mystic Funeral Home. There will be a private celebration of Richard’s life at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in Richard’s memory may be made to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, PO Box 515, Northampton, MA 01061-0515.