Larry Alan Ripley

On Saturday, July 13, 2024, Larry A Ripley, a resident of Vancouver, WA passed away peacefully at the age of 83 following a battle with lung cancer. Born in the small town of Viroqua, Wisconsin on February 8, 1941, to Dorothy (Hines) Ripley and Alvin Overberg, Larry spent much of his youth in Milwaukee, WI doing what typical young boys do. In 1947 his mother Dorothy married William “Skip” Ripley who subsequently adopted Larry and his brother John. 

Larry was born with an adventurer’s spirit and a mischievous smile. He was also incredibly smart. After high school, he joined the Air Force where he became a pilot and learned to program computers–a completely new field at the time. Following his military service, he attended Indiana University where he studied business, math, and computers and worked showing apartments to students. He graduated from IU in 1974 with a Bachelor of Science in business.

One day while at IU, Larry happened to show an apartment to a beautiful young blond music student named Jo Anne. Though neither of them was looking for a serious relationship, their hearts had other plans. They were married 11 months later. At the time of his passing, Larry and his adoring wife had just celebrated their 58th wedding anniversary.

Larry’s life was an adventure. Never content with staying in one place for too long, he was always looking for the next new-to-him “thing.” From his career (he reinvented his professional life several times), to his residence (the family relocated often), to his passionate pursuit of travel, Larry and his wife Jo spent their time together exploring the big and beautiful world around them. They visited all 50 United States and numerous countries. One of their favorite things to do was to “go for a drive” in hopes they would stumble on a forgotten small town or a charming rural restaurant. Larry loved exploring new places so much that he would begin planning their next trip nearly the instant he returned from the last one. 

Those who knew him know Larry was a passionate, principled man. He held strong opinions and convictions about things that were important to him, which included his love of his country. But most of all, Larry loved his wife and family. 

Larry is survived by his wife Jo Anne Ripley; daughters Kelly Ripley Feller (and fiance Chris McDermott) and Shawna Buckley (and husband Shane Buckley); his brother William “Bill” Ripley (and wife Rose Ripley); and his grandsons Cody Buckley, Dustin Buckley, and Aron Feller. Larry was preceded in death by his mother Dorothy Ripley, his father William Ripley, his birth father Alvin Overberg, and his brother John. Larry is also survived by his dog Murphy, whom he grew to love even if he “didn’t want a small dog.” 

The family is hosting a visitation open house to celebrate Larry’s life on Saturday, August 17 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the home of his daughter Kelly Ripley Feller at 9908 NE Mason St; Portland, OR 97220. In place of flowers or gifts, the family requests donations in Larry’s honor be made to his favorite charity The Wounded Warrior Project: https://bit.ly/LARWWP.