Catherine A. Tipton's Obituary
Catherine A. Tipton (nee Harrell) passed away peacefully on Friday, August 12, 2022 at her residence in Maple Shade surrounded by her family. Born in Philadelphia to Woodrow and Catherine Harrell, Catherine, or Kay as she was fondly known, was 84 years old.
Beloved wife of 34 years to Raymond W. Tipton. Loving mother of Kathleen Hiltwine (Pete), Rosemarie Gebre (Jeff), the late William Bergan and the late Michael Bergan.
Grandmother of Janet, Melissa, Heather, Erik and Justin. Great Grandmother of Jimmy, Kayla, Renee, Cris, Noah and Colin.
Sister of Ronnie DiFiore (late Mike), Joan Tomlinson and the late Raymond Harrell (Susan). She is also survived by several nieces and nephews along with great-nieces and nephews.
Catherine attended St. Michael’s Catholic grade school in Philadelphia, where she was crowned the May Queen. She attended John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School in Philadelphia, where she played the violin for Hallahan’s Orchestra. She was a retired secretary for Raytheon Engineers and Contractors in Philadelphia.
Catherine was a parishioner of Holy Name of Jesus Church in Fishtown (Philadelphia). She worked hard to make sure her children attended Catholic grade school and high school. She remarried in 1988 to Ray Tipton and a few years later, they moved to Maple Shade, NJ, where she lived for almost 32 years. She was a faithful parishioner of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Maple Shade. She loved her home and never wanted to leave there.
Catherine enjoyed taking her grandchildren on trips to Hershey Park at Christmastime, Shawnee Park, the PA Renaissance Faire and Walt Disney World. She and Ray also went on casino bus trips with her sister Ronnie and her husband Mike. She loved to rescue little dogs (the late Sammy and Toby) and Ellie, who was by her side on the last day. She also rescued cats (late Felix and Tigger) and took care of the neighborhood cats without homes.
Catherine hosted Christmas for her family for over 55 years and Easter dinner for over 25 years. She never wanted to miss being the host on these occasions. She decorated for every holiday, Christmas being the most elaborate. She was also very patriotic and loved attending barbecues with her family.
A gathering of family and friends will be held Friday, August 19th from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Givnish of Maple Shade, 600 East Main Street. Catherine’s Funeral Mass will follow at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, 236 E. Main Street, Maple Shade.
Burial will follow at Jesus, Bread of Life Cemetery in Mt. Laurel, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, www.stjude.org
To share your fondest memories of Catherine, please visit www.givnish.com
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