Charles Henry Rippel, 89, of 427 Pequot Avenue died on December 29th at the Lawrence and Memorial Hospital in New London surrounded by his family.
Charles is the son of John and Margaret Rippel. He was born on October 30th, 1919, on Pequot Avenue in Mystic. He played in the Stonington High School band and was a member of the football and track teams. He was an independent frugal man. He dug the foundation and built the family house on Pequot Avenue where he and his wife Alice raised eight children.
Charles married Alice Marie Caron on March 10, 1945 at Saint Patrick Church in Mystic. They were avid gardeners. While Alice cared for her extensive prize winning flower gardens, Charles loved his big vegetable garden with carrots, pole beans, beets, squash, pumpkins, parsley, rhubarb, tomatoes, and turnips. They loved hiking, sightseeing, country fairs, fishing and serving family holiday meals. He was a Cub Scout pack leader and involved with the PTA.
Charles was a Navy chief radioman World War II veteran aboard the seaplane tender USS Curtiss and fought at the December 7th,, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. He served his country for six years. After the war, Charles worked at the New London Naval Underwater Sound Laboratory for twenty-five years. During his career he worked in Norway, Spain, Germany, Italy, Greece, the Caribbean, and the Pacific helping to perfect sonar designs.
Charles is survived by eight loving children; four daughters, Sharon Burtchell and Caron Harris of Groton, Lynn Rippel of Middletown, Denise Bennett of Mystic; four sons, Leon of Simsbury, Ronald of South Easton, Massachusetts., Wayne of Hartford, Glen of North Reading, Massachusetts. He is also survived by 14 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. Charles was predeceased by Alice, his loving wife of 58 years, and two sisters, Margaret Jewel and Anna Wheeler.
His family will greet relatives and friends at The Dinoto Funeral Home, 17 Pearl Street, Historic downtown Mystic on Sunday, January 4th from 4 to 6 pm. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary Mother of the Redeemer Church, Groton on Monday at 10am. Interment with military honors will be in Elm Grove Cemetery, Mystic.
Charles regularly donated money to many organizations. In the spirit of his giving, the Rippel children requests that donations be made to your favorite charities in lieu of flowers.
To share a message of remembrance or condolence with the family, please click the link below.
To view an online album of the Rippel family go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/lrippel1945/CharlesAndAliceRippelFamilyPhotos#