David Sipple

David Sipple’s final lap around the sun ended peacefully at his home in Brighton, Colorado on August 27, 2025. He was 68 years old and much loved as a son, brother, cousin, nephew, dad, uncle, grandpa and friend. A funeral service will be held in his honor at Sacred Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Boulder, Colorado on 24 October 2025, beginning at 10:30 am MDT (Rosary and Eulogy) and 11:00 am MDT (Mass).

David Anthony Sipple was born in Denville, New Jersey, in 1956 to Paul Kevin Sipple and Marilyn Frances Sipple. He grew up in New Jersey, New Mexico, Illinois, and Colorado, where he lived until his passing in August 2025.

David is survived by father Paul Kevin Sipple, siblings Brian Sipple, Margaret Sipple-Srinivasan (Jeffrey), Kathleen Brummert (Wayne), and Brendan Sipple (Sirin), nephews Maxx and Beau Srinivasan, and Brendan Paul Sipple. He is also survived by special friends Dianne Cole, and her children Todd Cole (Teresa) and Happy Bennett (Lance) and their children, and Shawna Pugmire, and daughter Briana. He is predeceased by his mother Marilyn Sipple and brother Kevin Sipple.

David graduated from Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado. He earned a B.S. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of New Mexico (UNM); and a M.S. in Engineering (Space Operations) at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs where he received the ‘Outstanding Graduate Student’ award.

David was a curious and adventurous boy his whole life. He started taking things apart as soon as he could hold a tool in his hand. He once ‘operated’ on his sister Margaret’s doll just to find out how her voice box worked (and got into big trouble when this was discovered!). Starting with toasters, he progressed to two-way radios, then hot air and gas balloon components, and eventually to satellites and other space-age equipment. As a teenager, he volunteered in a vaccination program called Amigos de las Americas, with which he ventured to rural Honduras, Nicaragua, and Ecuador to dispense vaccines against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and polio.

During his teen years he learned to play the accordion and participated in a national ‘Christmas Around the World’ show with Myron Floren of the Lawrence Welk band. The highlight of the show was when 50 accordions played The Hallelujah Chorus in unison!

David (Dave) was a natural caretaker, and people were drawn to him like moths to light. When he was a young boy of about 12, he took care of a neighborhood boy named Michael who had cerebral palsy, making sure to include him in neighborhood adventures. He would hoist him on his shoulders and run around with him as if he were light as a feather, to Michael’s utter delight! He had a friend in college named Dee who had an auto-immune disease that ossified his bones and muscles. David spent countless hours with Dee, helping him study and just being with him in friendship and companionship.

His compassion led him to become an EMT for several years and later to volunteer as a Victim Advocate for the Brighton Police Department in Brighton, Colorado. David was a passionate friend to so many people from all walks of life, and he treasured those bonds throughout his life.

Dave loved his many pets throughout the years, including dogs, cats, rats, guinea pigs, ferrets, tarantulas, and frogs. He once made a spaceship for his rats, and it even had a bridge on it where a rat could take the com, were it so inclined. In junior high school, he would occasionally take his pet rat to school, hidden comfortably in his shirt. He would drop food to it from his collar throughout the day. In his later years, he refrained from having pets because he couldn’t bear the heartbreak.

Transitioning to his years in college at UNM, David worked full-time while also taking classes. He quipped that he “squeezed a four-year degree into 10 years.” It was in Albuquerque that Dave became such a valued and respected part of the ballooning community, and maintained his interest in student life by playing club hockey and rugby, and earning a black belt in martial arts. In college and beyond, he earned his pilot license for hot air balloons and traveled the world as part of many hot air and gas balloon crews.

As an adult, David was recognized as being a brilliant thinker and having a dry wit – he was a crew chief across disciplines – professionally and personally in ballooning, motorcycling, volunteering, and among his peers in various activities. He would dive deeply into every angle of his interests to develop his experience: computers, electronics, satellites, aviation, multi-media design and creation, paper puzzle models, lead stained glass design, origami, animals and advocacy, Spanish language and American Sign Language. He loved air shows, car shows, and being part of Todd’s crew racing at the quarter mile track at Bandimere Speedway. He liked live music and concerts.

One of his favorite pastimes in his 30s and 40s was riding his motorcycles across the open roads. His treks with his brother, Kevin and his friends brought him great joy in discovering new roads and adventures. Red River, New Mexico was one of the most special places in his heart.

Dave was humble, protective of people in need, thorough and conscientious in his work, and uncompromising in his engineering principles. He was kind and made every person he met feel unique, important and remembered. Many received flowers and texts on birthdays, Mother’s Day, and anniversaries of special events. He created memory albums of life events to share with others. One neighbor shared that David gifted jumper cables to each of her 10 children when they got their drivers licenses and cars.

David was much loved by his family and friends. He was so proud when he escorted Happy down the aisle when she wed Lance, and when he became an uncle to Maxx, Beau, and Brendan Paul. He loved how little kids looked up, up, and up to him and how he made them feel safe when he picked them up – their eyes getting big and feeling like they had a gentle giant as their guardian.

Below is the link for online live-streaming of David’s funeral service on 24 October 2025 beginning at 10:30 am MDT.

https://youtube.com/live/pH_-bqZKX8c?feature=share

Memorial Slideshow link (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ew_3GqB45X0TJAZ9Yfpp-6Ilsdt-BfFP?usp=sharing) (https://tinyurl.com/DavesLifeInPics)

A celebration of life will follow the services. We invite David’s friends and family to attend and bring remembrances of his life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to a charitable organization that supports causes close to David’s heart; Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) research ( https://www.ifopa.org ), the National Balloon Museum ( https://nationalballoonmuseum.org ), Colorado Reptile Humane Society ( www.CoRHS.org (http://www.CoRHS.org) ), or organizations supporting animal advocacy or victims advocacy.