Scott Andrew Ripley

Scott Andrew Ripley was born March 26, 1952 in Salem, Massachusetts, first child of Donald Edward and Barbara Ruth (McFarland) Ripley, a mechanical engineer and nurse respectively. Their family was complete when his sister, Claudia, was born a few years later. Scott had wonderful childhood memories which included summer camping trips with his family in Maine, YMCA day camp, large family gatherings, picnics, and holiday gatherings. The family lived in Peabody, MA and he graduated from Peabody High School in 1970.

Scott was extremely energetic and active his whole life. He loved nature, science, camping, and all outdoor activities including scuba diving, hiking, camping, swimming, and hang gliding. He was active in scouting and he achieved the rank Eagle Scout. When knee pain made running uncomfortable, he took up cycling which became his passion. Some special rides included completing the Pan Mass Challenge with his sister in 2005, the Tour de Tucson with friend Warren Weinstein in 2005 and 2007, the Bike New York Five Borough Ride with his wife and older son in 2010, and last year the Lake Ripley Ride in Wisconsin with his older son. All aforementioned rides completed after his cancer diagnosis in 2004.

Scott had a strong work ethic. His first job was a paper boy delivering papers by bike. Sometimes his mother followed along in her VW beetle on rainy days. He also loved camping with the family in the summers in Maine. He learned to scuba dive in the cold New England waters and would enjoy that pastime for many decades. He had a lifelong love of flying and planes, and even built his own hang glider when he was younger.

Graduating from Peabody High School, MA, he went on to earn a degree in Marine Biology from Long Island University, in South Hampton, NY.

Following his passion for the sea, Scott set his sights on the Coast Guard and becoming an officer. To accelerate that path he enlisted and went to basic training in Cape May, NJ and became a Marine Science Technician serving aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton out of Boston and later was assigned to CG Station Key West before being selected to attend Officer Candidate School in Yorktown, VA. It was there he met his future wife, Virginia native Diane Livick who was in the class junior to his. They were married in 1981 in Connecticut where he was stationed on the Oceanographic Cutter Evergreen and she was assigned to CG Group Long Island Sound, New Haven. Following these assignments they were sent to Governors Island New York, where Scott was stationed aboard the Cutter Dallas (WHEC-716) and Diane would eventually become the Director of CG Recruiting for the Third Coast Guard District. Scott was proud of his military service and loved to reminisce with veterans of any branch of the military.

The couple’s first son, Brian, was born in New York in 1983 and the couple left active service and moved to Virginia where Scott went on to study computer programming. Their second son, Paul “Jay” Ripley, was born in 1990. Scott would stay in the field of computers the rest of his working career. He retired after 30 years with Virginia State Police in 2018. Scott loved the Virginia State Police and worked at State Police Headquarters during the week and spent weekends at the home the family had built in the Shenandoah Valley in Augusta County. Diane stayed home with the children. When they were older, she went back to school and became a registered nurse.

After their retirement he and his wife took many camping adventures in their prized TC teardrop camper, including a trip to Acadia National Park, Lubec, ME, and Campobello Island last summer. The couple’s bikes always on top of the camper, ready to be unpacked for a ride.

Scott was diagnosed with Non Hodgkin's Lymphoma in ‘04 and elected the care of UVA Hematoncology. He participated in a clinical trial of an immunotherapy cancer vaccine made from his own cells early in his disease course. As a scientist, this was very important to him. His last chemo regime was complete in late winter, but the lymphoma returned with a vengeance this past spring. After palliative radiation treatment at the Moser Center, he elected care from Hospice of the Piedmont. In his final days, his pain was not to be adequately managed at home and he was admitted to the Hospice of the Piedmont Center for Acute Hospice where he died peacefully on Monday, August 17.

He was preceded in death by his father, Donald Ripley. He is survived by his mother, Barbara Ripley of Rye, NH, his mother-in-law and brother-in-law, Martha and Brent Livick of Mount Sidney, his wife, Diane Livick, of Mount Sidney, sons Brian Ripley and partner Sarah Roe of Madison WI, son “Jay” Paul Ripley of Harrisonburg, VA, sister Claudia Worth and husband Paul of Boxford, MA, nieces Caitlin Worth Heinzmen (husband Eric) of Montague, MA, and Shannon Ripley Worth (fiancé Jerod Day) of Aspen, CO, and great nephew Jack Heinzman, another “rambunctious boy” who Scott adored watching grow up.

The family would like to express appreciation to the University of Virginia Medical Center, Couric Cancer Center for their care over the decades, especially Dr. John Densmore and his staff. Also Hospice of the Piedmont, especially nurse Ilona Sage, social worker Edith Thomas, all staff and nurses, as well as Hospice of the Piedmont Center of Acute Hospice Care, and nurse Kris, where they compassionately and professionally aided Scott and the family in these last most difficult days.

Scott’s younger son Jay wrote eloquently of his father’s passing on social media:

“My father, Scott Ripley, died Monday August 17th. I think it would be rather unfair to say that he lost his battle with cancer seeing as how he's fought and beat it so many times in the past. It's unfair to say that it's the single fight he lost that matters. For all intents and purposes, in my book, my father won. Period. Dad was the most sincere and kind man I've ever known.

Absolutely devoid of hatred. I've never seen anyone's smile emit as much gentle kindness. I can't imagine him causing harm or wishing ill will on any person or creature. They say we fear what we don't understand and I can't help but feel braver through inheriting his desire to understand more. It's incredibly upsetting knowing he's gone and I can't help having pangs of unfettered rage towards the fact I couldn't know him longer, but as long as we can be kind he can always be with us....”

At Scott’s request, there will be no public services. He will be cremated and his energy and mass returned to the stars and earth of which it came. Scott would want us to know that he is still here, every BTU of heat, every photon of light that bounced off his face, every bit of energy. He gave as good as he got from this life, and is still with us, just in a much less organized form.

In lieu of flowers, contributions to Hospice of the Piedmont are requested. It is also requested that in lieu of formal service, he be remembered by each in a unique way; a bike ride, gardening and perhaps growing a perfect tomato, wonder at the night stars, a day walking on the shore, and contemplating the utter magnificence of life and this planet, our home.