Frederick Hipple Obituary

Prof. Frederick Stebbins ("Steb") Hipple, PhD November 4, 1940-

June 11, 2024

JOHNSON CITY - Professor Frederick Stebbins ("Steb") Hipple, PhD departed this world on June 11, 2024, from Franklin Woods Community Hospital, Johnson City, Tennessee, with members of his family by his bedside. Affectionately called "Pathfinder" by his family, Steb left his earthly existence in his continuing search of knowledge, truth, and the Divine. Steb was called Pathfinder, as it was his habit to travel ahead of his children's athletic events and other activities. He enjoyed arriving a day early just to share the best routes and attractions. His innate sense of direction served his family well.

Steb was born on November 4, 1940, in Birmingham, Alabama. His family moved to Houston, Texas when Steb was young, so he considered that as "home." He graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in 1958 as Salutatorian and a National Merit Scholar. Steb attended Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Finance (1962) and a Master of Arts degree in Economics (1964).

For a brief time, Steb taught fifth grade at an elementary school in San Antonio, Texas. On November 21, 1963, Steb took his class outside to wave at the passing motorcade of President John F. Kennedy making its way to Dallas, Texas. The motorcade was diverted to the school parking lot where President Kennedy shook hands with the students. This occurred the day before President Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, and deeply impacted Steb in this personal intersection with history.

Steb then moved to Dallas, Texas to pursue a PhD in Economics at Southern Methodist University (SMU). It was there in 1966 that he met a young first-year student who would become his wife, Linda Elaine Griffin. They were married on June 7, 1968. He graduated with his doctoral degree in Economics in 1972.

He taught Economics at the University of Dallas and Texas Women's University before accepting a fellowship at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC in 1974. Following the fellowship, Steb worked as an Economist in the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Commerce under the Nixon, Carter, and Reagan Administrations.

However, Steb longed for the academic life again. In 1982, he accepted an appointment as a Professor of Economics at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. He was instrumental in creating the Bureau of Business and Economic Research in the University's College of Business (now College of Business and Technology) and served as its director from 1982 to 1995.

In line with the Bureau's work, Steb issued quarterly reports of economic outlooks for northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. These reports led to Steb becoming a fixture in regional television, radio, and newspapers to provide economic insights. Steb attended many local, regional, and national meetings to report on the region's economic activities. To his family and friends, he was also affectionally nicknamed "Econ Guru" due to his involvements.

Steb also helped pioneer distance education at ETSU as one of the first instructors teaching over closed-circuit television and making recordings of his courses. He became known for his "tie-of-the-week" and was featured in Kingsport Fun Fest ads in the early 1990's.

Steb enjoyed his time at the Bureau but decided to return to his first passion of teaching in 1996. He continued as a Bureau research associate through 2016 and taught courses until his retirement in 2020.

Steb had numerous hobbies and interests. A life-long interest was in trains that he enjoyed learning about, visiting full-sized models in museums, and riding on still-operational ones. Steb could describe many railroad crossings and got to "engineer" at least two trains. Steb and Linda often traveled on trains from Washington, DC to New Orleans on the famous Southern Crescent. He took several historic train excursions throughout Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina with his family.

Music was also another passion that brought him immense joy. He enjoyed a variety of styles from classical music to beach music. He built stereophonic equipment in the 1960's and 1970's and enjoyed music in all forms from reel-to-reel tapes, vinyl records, and compact discs.

Steb was a voracious reader, always having a book or magazine nearby. He especially enjoyed history books. He is affectionately remembered for keeping a Consumer Reports magazine or Trains magazine near his favorite chair.

Steb and Linda loved to travel. They discovered the joys of cruises enjoying riverboats (Delta Queen), ocean liners, and small boats. They spent time in Newfoundland (Canada), the New England region, Chesapeake Bay, and Florida. He and Linda also enjoyed the beach with innumerable trips over the years. They traveled to Galveston, Texas early in their marriage and took regular trips to Folly Beach, Tybee Island, and other Atlantic Coast locations.

Steb's greatest joy was his family. Having been an only child, it was a learning curve for him with four beautiful children filling his home. His love for animals was well known and he considered them enriching his life. He leaves a legacy of love, faith, a passion for experiencing new things, and of always learning.

Steb was preceded in death by his parents, H. Stebbins Hipple and Frances C. Hipple; his in-laws, George E. Griffin, Jr. and Thelma L. Griffin; his sister-in-law, Vicki Lee Griffin Robison (Mickey); his son, Andrew Stebbins Hipple; and countless beloved cats and dogs.

He leaves behind his wife of 56 years, Linda Elaine Griffin Hipple, and his children, Miranda Hipple (Donna Elks) of Raleigh, NC; Meredith Collie (Steve) of Seoul, South Korea and Boone, NC; and F. Griffin Hipple (Bethany) of Maryville, TN. Steb has four grandchildren: James ("Jamie") Hipple, Sydney Collie, William ("Will") Hipple, and Charles ("Charlie") Collie. He also leaves behind a cousin, Pete Hipple (Pat) of St. Petersburg, FL; a brother-in-law, Mickey Robison of Richardson, TX; a nephew, Jordan Robison (Lauren) of Carthage, TX; and a niece, Rachel Emard (Joshua) of McKinney, TX.

Steb was beloved by many, especially his family, friends, and students. As one student commented "Dr. Hipple was a kind, fair, knowledgeable instructor whose passion for teaching was always seen."

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Wednesday, July 17, 2024, at 4:00 PM, at St. John's Episcopal Church, 500 N. Roan Street in Johnson City, TN. Reception and Visitation will follow at the Church at 5:00 PM.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Washington County Animal Shelter (https://wcjcanimalshelter.org or 3411 N. Roan Street, Johnson City, TN 37601), St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (https://www.stjude.org or 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105), or St. John's Episcopal Church (https://stjohnstn.org/ or 500 N. Roan Street, Johnson City, TN 37601).

Memories and condolences may be shared at www. tetrickfuneralservices.com. Tetrick Funeral Services, 3001 Peoples Street, Johnson City, TN 37604, is honored to serve the Hipple family. (423) 610-7171