Obituary for Craig A. Gipple
Craig Alden Gipple, age 87, of Wayne, NJ, passed away on January 31, 2020, at the Sunrise Assisted Living residence in Wayne.
The son of Lester Rex Gipple and Margaret Irene (Holmes) Gipple, Craig was born in Wyman, Iowa on July 17, 1934. Raised in Southeastern Iowa, his education began in a small one room schoolhouse, moving to graduating high school in a class of 12, and then to attending the University of Iowa gaining a degree in Electrical Engineering. On September 9, 1956, he married Margaret Jane Anderson of Crawfordsville, Iowa.
After enrolling in the military, Craig graduated from the US Army Signal Corp and began a career in late 1957 with the Bell System, based in Holmdel, NJ. In 1962, he was assigned to the team that designed and built the first communications satellite Telstar, continuing through the years to design and deliver with his teams many communications technology innovations including the AT&T Network Operations Center in Bedminster, NJ, which at the time managed all long distance network communications across the USA and the world. While married and raising two young sons, Craig moved his family 14 times around the country, each time progressing up the corporate ladder, eventually becoming one of the top 12 managers and the youngest regional Vice President in AT&T. Upon leaving the company, Craig founded Leadership Solutions Inc, helping other organizations improve communications and quality.
Craig, along with his wife Margaret, demonstrated a spirit of service and generosity, primarily towards young people. Craig coached little league baseball. He and Margaret worked with the Cub and Boy Scouts, serving on the Bergen Council for Boy Scouts. Both of them were founding board members for OnStage Inc., a summer youth theatre which served the Bergen County area for over40 years.
Living his strong faith and beliefs, Craig remained involved with the United Methodist Church of Franklin Lakes. He taught Sunday School with his wife serving as superintendent. He served in several different areas, especially as a constant member of its Administrative Council and Finance Team for many years.
Craig Gipple was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret J. Gipple, and is survived by his sons Douglas Gipple of Mahwah, NJ, and Daniel Gipple of Maidenhead, England, along with his wife Catharine, and Craig’s two grandsons, Samuel and Joseph. He is also survived by a sister, Beverly J. Gipple, of Dallas, Texas.
The family will receive friends Thursday, February 3, 1:00 – 3:00 and 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home, 530 High Mountain Road, Franklin Lakes. Funeral Services will take place at The Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church, 454 Pulis Avenue, Franklin Lakes, on Saturday, February 5, at 11:00 AM.
The son of Lester Rex Gipple and Margaret Irene (Holmes) Gipple, Craig was born in Wyman, Iowa on July 17, 1934. Raised in Southeastern Iowa, his education began in a small one room schoolhouse, moving to graduating high school in a class of 12, and then to attending the University of Iowa gaining a degree in Electrical Engineering. On September 9, 1956, he married Margaret Jane Anderson of Crawfordsville, Iowa.
After enrolling in the military, Craig graduated from the US Army Signal Corp and began a career in late 1957 with the Bell System, based in Holmdel, NJ. In 1962, he was assigned to the team that designed and built the first communications satellite Telstar, continuing through the years to design and deliver with his teams many communications technology innovations including the AT&T Network Operations Center in Bedminster, NJ, which at the time managed all long distance network communications across the USA and the world. While married and raising two young sons, Craig moved his family 14 times around the country, each time progressing up the corporate ladder, eventually becoming one of the top 12 managers and the youngest regional Vice President in AT&T. Upon leaving the company, Craig founded Leadership Solutions Inc, helping other organizations improve communications and quality.
Craig, along with his wife Margaret, demonstrated a spirit of service and generosity, primarily towards young people. Craig coached little league baseball. He and Margaret worked with the Cub and Boy Scouts, serving on the Bergen Council for Boy Scouts. Both of them were founding board members for OnStage Inc., a summer youth theatre which served the Bergen County area for over40 years.
Living his strong faith and beliefs, Craig remained involved with the United Methodist Church of Franklin Lakes. He taught Sunday School with his wife serving as superintendent. He served in several different areas, especially as a constant member of its Administrative Council and Finance Team for many years.
Craig Gipple was preceded in death by his wife, Margaret J. Gipple, and is survived by his sons Douglas Gipple of Mahwah, NJ, and Daniel Gipple of Maidenhead, England, along with his wife Catharine, and Craig’s two grandsons, Samuel and Joseph. He is also survived by a sister, Beverly J. Gipple, of Dallas, Texas.
The family will receive friends Thursday, February 3, 1:00 – 3:00 and 6:00 – 8:00 PM at Vander Plaat-Vermeulen Memorial Home, 530 High Mountain Road, Franklin Lakes. Funeral Services will take place at The Franklin Lakes United Methodist Church, 454 Pulis Avenue, Franklin Lakes, on Saturday, February 5, at 11:00 AM.