1948
Darrell
2012
Darrell Shipe
September 13, 1948 — December 7, 2012
Darrell Royce Shipe passed away at his home in Hedgesville, WV on Friday, December 7, 2012. He was born on September 13, 1948 in Laurel, MD. He was the son of June Porter Shipe and Louis Shipe. He attended Milford Mill High School in Baltimore, MD, and the University of Maryland in College Park, MD. He lived in Laurel, Bowie, Baltimore, Frederick, and La Plata, MD, and Martinsburg and Hedgesville, WV. He grew up Methodist, and was a spiritual person. He loved the beauty of God’s nature and creatures.
Darrell enlisted in the Army and served as a Paratrooper from October 10, 1966 to February 19, 1970. He loved jumping out of airplanes and never missed a chance to jump. He also repelled from helicopters. He went through Basic Training, Infantry Training and Jump School at Ft. Benning, GA. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, Charlie Company, 325th Infantry at Ft. Bragg, NC, and later transferred to Ft. Campbell, KY. In Vietnam he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (“The Screaming Eagles”) where he was attached to the 3rd Bridgade, Headquarters Company as a result of his assignment to the Long Range Reconnissance Patrol (LRRPS) in addition to Bridgade Officers’ Guard. He was in Vietnam from December 5, 1967 to August 2, 1968. He was wounded three times. He received the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Bronze Service Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device (1960), the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation Badge, the Meritorious Unit Commendation with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal, the First Class Unit Citation Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, 1 O/S Bar, the Parachute Badge, the Expert Badge Rifle M16, and many unit citations. He received an Honorable Discharge on October 9, 1972.
After the service, Darrell worked for various people and companies. Later, he obtained his Maryland Home Improvement Commission License as a General Contractor. He began his own business “DRS Designs” in Frederick, MD. He specialized in wood working, wallpapering, and painting.
Darrell was a compassionate, thoughtful, and giving person toward humans and animals alike. He had donated toys to “Toys for Tots” every Christmas, and this past Christmas buying those toys had been foremost in his mind. Therefore, toys were donated in his name. He had also planned to make cranberry nut bread for the staff of several of the clinics at the Veterans’ Administration Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. This also was done in his name. He always enjoyed visiting with the staff there at his appointments.
Darrell loved all animals. He rescued and placed over 20 cats. He received great pleasure from his three cats he described as “adopting him”, Big Grey, Lucille, and Cutie Pie. He would never let an animal go hungry. He put out food for the deer, squirrels, birds and fox.
Darrell enjoyed the peace and tranquility of his home in the mountains outside of Hedgesville, where he moved in 2006. He enhanced his home by having a stone fireplace built, and a large building he had planned to use as a workshop. He had extensive landscaping completed and was awaiting fruit from his newest addition, a plum tree. He flew the United States Flag at his home every day. He enjoyed watching the variety of wildlife and the natural beauty of the countryside whether sitting in the quietness on his screened-in porch, or watching out his bedroom window.
Over the years Darrell participated in numerous activities including tennis, golf, square dancing, catch & release fishing, and horseback riding, going on trail rides in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He also enjoyed music, cooking, gardening, watching DVDs of classic television shows, and attending the Preakness and Derby, and air shows. He was adventurous and took advantage of any opportunity to go parasailing, fly in an ultra-light airplane, or take a helicopter ride. He especially enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, “Big Blue”.
Darrell enjoyed traveling, and he and Carol took many trips. They often vacationed at Virginia Beach, VA and at Dewey Beach, DE. They visited friends in southern New Jersey, and went to Atlantic City. They also went to Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, VA. Sometimes they had camped in a recreational vehicle. Several times a year they traveled to Southern Maryland to visit the Amish Markets and barbeque places. They also spent a lot of time in the Amish area east of Lancaster, PA, and in the Strasburg area, revisiting their favorite sites, restaurants, markets, and purchasing homemade items. One fall they went to Luray Caverns and Skyline Drive in VA. More recently, in the fall they went to Vermont and the Poconos. During a recent Thanksgiving they went to New England, staying at Plymouth, MA, visiting Plymouth Rock and Plimoth Plantation. In Nashville, TN, they enjoyed time with relatives, went to the Grand Ole Opry, and took a trip to visit Ft. Campbell in KY where Darrell had been stationed in the Army. In Las Vegas, NV they visited friends, saw the sites and took a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon. On another trip Darrell visited an Army friend in Las Vegas and went to Lake Tahoe to meet with another Army friend. He returned to Las Vegas several years later and he and his friends drove to Oregon where they had a reunion of many Army friends. He went to California to visit his aunt before returning home. Over the years he and Carol took three cruises, one special as it was with family. They toured the southern, eastern and western Caribbean. They visited the islands, sailed on a catamaran, swan with dolphins, and petted the stingrays in the ocean. After the last cruise, they visited relatives in Tampa, and spent time in Ft. Myers, FL.
Darrell will be greatly missed by Carol J. Webber, the love of his life for the past 28 years. He is also survived by his sister Shelley A. Shipe and husband Ronald Yeaw of St. Lucie West, FL, his brother Darron S. Shipe and wife Barbara of Tampa, FL, nephews Devon and Dallas Shipe and niece Katrina Shipe of Tampa, FL, aunts Evelyn Davis of Baltimore, MD, Virginia Enockson of Buena Park, CA, Judy O’Kelley (and husband Henry) of Roswell, NM, many cousins, including Sandra Haack of Fredericksburg, VA, Bradford Enockson of Menifee, CA, William O’Kelley of Roswell, NM, Barry Peters and wife Sandy and Joe Davis of New Freedom, PA.
He will also be remembered by many good friends, including Albert Coleman and wife Barbara of Ocean City, MD, Dennis Reels and wife Debbie of Ft. Myers, FL, Robert Baker and wife Sandie of Las Vegas, NV, friend and caregiver Debbie McKee, and caregiver Judy Trexler.
He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Charmianne L. Shipe, aunts Lorraine Haack and Janet Eastep, uncles Willis and William Porter, and by Carol’s mother, Jean Webber, and by his grandparents. He had been especially close to his maternal grandmother, Myra Croft Porter.
A Memorial Service to honor Darrell’s life will be held on Monday, January 14, 2013 at 10:00 in the Chapel of Calvary United Methodist Church (131 West 2nd St. Frederick, MD). Rev. Harry C. Cole will officiate. Interment will follow at 1:00 at Fort Lincoln Cemetery (3401 Bladensburg Rd., Brentwood, MD).
Those wishing, may make a memorial contribution in Darrell’s honor either to Berkeley County Meals on Wheels (116 East King Street, Martinsburg, WV 25401), or to The Wounded Warriors Project (P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675).
Darrell enlisted in the Army and served as a Paratrooper from October 10, 1966 to February 19, 1970. He loved jumping out of airplanes and never missed a chance to jump. He also repelled from helicopters. He went through Basic Training, Infantry Training and Jump School at Ft. Benning, GA. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, Charlie Company, 325th Infantry at Ft. Bragg, NC, and later transferred to Ft. Campbell, KY. In Vietnam he was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division (“The Screaming Eagles”) where he was attached to the 3rd Bridgade, Headquarters Company as a result of his assignment to the Long Range Reconnissance Patrol (LRRPS) in addition to Bridgade Officers’ Guard. He was in Vietnam from December 5, 1967 to August 2, 1968. He was wounded three times. He received the Combat Infantryman Badge, the Vietnam Service Medal with 4 Bronze Service Stars, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device (1960), the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm Unit Citation Badge, the Meritorious Unit Commendation with Oak Leaf Cluster, the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal, the First Class Unit Citation Badge, the National Defense Service Medal, 1 O/S Bar, the Parachute Badge, the Expert Badge Rifle M16, and many unit citations. He received an Honorable Discharge on October 9, 1972.
After the service, Darrell worked for various people and companies. Later, he obtained his Maryland Home Improvement Commission License as a General Contractor. He began his own business “DRS Designs” in Frederick, MD. He specialized in wood working, wallpapering, and painting.
Darrell was a compassionate, thoughtful, and giving person toward humans and animals alike. He had donated toys to “Toys for Tots” every Christmas, and this past Christmas buying those toys had been foremost in his mind. Therefore, toys were donated in his name. He had also planned to make cranberry nut bread for the staff of several of the clinics at the Veterans’ Administration Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. This also was done in his name. He always enjoyed visiting with the staff there at his appointments.
Darrell loved all animals. He rescued and placed over 20 cats. He received great pleasure from his three cats he described as “adopting him”, Big Grey, Lucille, and Cutie Pie. He would never let an animal go hungry. He put out food for the deer, squirrels, birds and fox.
Darrell enjoyed the peace and tranquility of his home in the mountains outside of Hedgesville, where he moved in 2006. He enhanced his home by having a stone fireplace built, and a large building he had planned to use as a workshop. He had extensive landscaping completed and was awaiting fruit from his newest addition, a plum tree. He flew the United States Flag at his home every day. He enjoyed watching the variety of wildlife and the natural beauty of the countryside whether sitting in the quietness on his screened-in porch, or watching out his bedroom window.
Over the years Darrell participated in numerous activities including tennis, golf, square dancing, catch & release fishing, and horseback riding, going on trail rides in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He also enjoyed music, cooking, gardening, watching DVDs of classic television shows, and attending the Preakness and Derby, and air shows. He was adventurous and took advantage of any opportunity to go parasailing, fly in an ultra-light airplane, or take a helicopter ride. He especially enjoyed riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, “Big Blue”.
Darrell enjoyed traveling, and he and Carol took many trips. They often vacationed at Virginia Beach, VA and at Dewey Beach, DE. They visited friends in southern New Jersey, and went to Atlantic City. They also went to Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, VA. Sometimes they had camped in a recreational vehicle. Several times a year they traveled to Southern Maryland to visit the Amish Markets and barbeque places. They also spent a lot of time in the Amish area east of Lancaster, PA, and in the Strasburg area, revisiting their favorite sites, restaurants, markets, and purchasing homemade items. One fall they went to Luray Caverns and Skyline Drive in VA. More recently, in the fall they went to Vermont and the Poconos. During a recent Thanksgiving they went to New England, staying at Plymouth, MA, visiting Plymouth Rock and Plimoth Plantation. In Nashville, TN, they enjoyed time with relatives, went to the Grand Ole Opry, and took a trip to visit Ft. Campbell in KY where Darrell had been stationed in the Army. In Las Vegas, NV they visited friends, saw the sites and took a helicopter ride to the Grand Canyon. On another trip Darrell visited an Army friend in Las Vegas and went to Lake Tahoe to meet with another Army friend. He returned to Las Vegas several years later and he and his friends drove to Oregon where they had a reunion of many Army friends. He went to California to visit his aunt before returning home. Over the years he and Carol took three cruises, one special as it was with family. They toured the southern, eastern and western Caribbean. They visited the islands, sailed on a catamaran, swan with dolphins, and petted the stingrays in the ocean. After the last cruise, they visited relatives in Tampa, and spent time in Ft. Myers, FL.
Darrell will be greatly missed by Carol J. Webber, the love of his life for the past 28 years. He is also survived by his sister Shelley A. Shipe and husband Ronald Yeaw of St. Lucie West, FL, his brother Darron S. Shipe and wife Barbara of Tampa, FL, nephews Devon and Dallas Shipe and niece Katrina Shipe of Tampa, FL, aunts Evelyn Davis of Baltimore, MD, Virginia Enockson of Buena Park, CA, Judy O’Kelley (and husband Henry) of Roswell, NM, many cousins, including Sandra Haack of Fredericksburg, VA, Bradford Enockson of Menifee, CA, William O’Kelley of Roswell, NM, Barry Peters and wife Sandy and Joe Davis of New Freedom, PA.
He will also be remembered by many good friends, including Albert Coleman and wife Barbara of Ocean City, MD, Dennis Reels and wife Debbie of Ft. Myers, FL, Robert Baker and wife Sandie of Las Vegas, NV, friend and caregiver Debbie McKee, and caregiver Judy Trexler.
He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Charmianne L. Shipe, aunts Lorraine Haack and Janet Eastep, uncles Willis and William Porter, and by Carol’s mother, Jean Webber, and by his grandparents. He had been especially close to his maternal grandmother, Myra Croft Porter.
A Memorial Service to honor Darrell’s life will be held on Monday, January 14, 2013 at 10:00 in the Chapel of Calvary United Methodist Church (131 West 2nd St. Frederick, MD). Rev. Harry C. Cole will officiate. Interment will follow at 1:00 at Fort Lincoln Cemetery (3401 Bladensburg Rd., Brentwood, MD).
Those wishing, may make a memorial contribution in Darrell’s honor either to Berkeley County Meals on Wheels (116 East King Street, Martinsburg, WV 25401), or to The Wounded Warriors Project (P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS 66675).
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