William "Bill" LeRoy Rippon

William "Bill" LeRoy Rippon, 69, of Manchester, Iowa, passed away on Sunday, May 26, 2019, at Regional Medical Center in Manchester. He was born on August 25, 1949, in Manchester, the son of John and Margaret (Schutt) Rippon. Bill graduated from West Delaware High School in 1968.

Bill enjoyed boxing in his younger years and won the Iowa Golden Gloves championship in 1967 at the 119-lb weight class. Following graduation, he detailed cars for Baxter/Dvorak in Manchester. Bill joined the United States Marines in 1969 and was medically discharged after a few months. He then worked as a surveying laborer for Tri-State Engineering in Manchester and later as a power pole digger for Osmose Utilities Services and for Ameri-Pole.  

Bill enjoyed watching the Iowa Hawkeyes and Chicago Cubs, helping Jo Ann on her acreage, and playing with Jo Ann’s grandkids. He loved a cold Old Milwaukee beer and, once in a while, a stiff shot of Seagram’s 7.

Survivors include Bill’s half-brother, John Hansel of Parkersburg; two nephews; and his good friends, Jo Ann Besler of Manchester; Mandy, Shannon, Macy, Alden, and Easton Davis of Hopkinton; and Nick, Neveah, Selena, Dominick, and Brielle Besler of Cedar Rapids.

Bill was preceded in death by his mother, Margaret, in 2003; his father, John; a brother, Ronald Rippon in 2001; and a half-brother, Doug Hansel.

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