Visitation: 3:00 – 6:00 p.m., Sunday, May 6, 2018
Location: Weymouth Funeral Home
Celebration of Life Service: 11:00 a.m., Monday, May 7, 2018
Location: Northside Christian Church
The world changed in an instant on Tuesday, May 1, 2018 when Rachel Elizabeth Rippy, 19, passed away unexpectedly. A Yorktown native, she graduated from Grafton High School, Class of 2016, where she thoroughly enjoyed her time as a manager of the boys wrestling team. She was currently a student at Christopher Newport University and a member of Northside Christian Church.
Rachel was beautiful; full of love, life, and attitude. She loved nothing more than getting dressed up in her high heels and looking her best. Her passions included expressing her artistic abilities, Music, Cooking, Disney (especially Dumbo), time in the woods hunting with her dad, and being a member of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs Peninsula Juniorettes. Rachel had diverse interests, but always brought her personality and spunk into everything she did. At the age of five, she was diagnosed with Type1 juvenile diabetes. This led the family and close friends to organize an annual community fundraiser the “Sugar Run” to help bring awareness of juvenile diabetes and raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). She was dynamic, never met a stranger, and loved her family and friends deeply.
Rachel is survived by her parents, Todd and Lisa O. Rippy; sister, Kalyn R. Wilson and husband, Zach; grandmother, Carol Rippy; grandfather, Gordon Owsley (Betty) all of Yorktown; aunts and uncles, Tracy Grady (Dennis), Kevin Owsley (Beverly), and Scott Owsley (Julie), many loving cousins, extended family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her grandfather, Kenneth Rippy; her grandmother, Darlene Owsley and her cousin, Addy Killingbeck.
The family is profoundly grateful for the love and support of our ‘village’ who have been there for us not only during this past week, but throughout the health challenges faced within her short lifetime.
The family will receive friends on Sunday, May 6, 2018 from 3:00-6:00 PM at Weymouth Funeral Home 12746 Nettles Drive, Newport News, VA 23606. Her Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 AM, Monday, May 7, 2018 at Northside Christian Church, Yorktown, VA 23693 by Senior Minister Larry Jones. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Diabetes Association (ADA) or National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Arrangements by Weymouth Funeral Home.