Rocque Edward Lipford, 85, died on July 25th, 2024, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife Marcia, daughters Lisa (Bob) Garypie and Jen Lipford (Dan Harbold), son Rocque Jr. (Anne) Lipford, son-in-law Tom Woodruff, grandchildren Jordan and Griffin Garypie, Rocque III and Alton Lipford, Frannie and Katie Harbold, brothers Frank, John (Jan), Ralph, William (Sandy) Lipford, brothers-in-law Tom (Sandra) Griffin and Bob Boss and 25 nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his beloved daughter Katherine Lipford Woodruff, sister-in-law Patsy Lipford, nephew Ryan Lipford, sisters Margaret (Muggie) Boss, Mary (Shanna) Walters, sister-in-law Kay Lipford, father, Frank G. and mother, Mary Lipford.
In the 20th century, before you could search the internet for answers, you could just ask Rocque. He was a walking resource that rivaled Google, from thermodynamics to literature to obscure 14th-century saints. A survivor of polio at age 4, he learned to read in an iron lung. His survivor's spirit was the hallmark of many future successes. He was a graduate of St. Joseph's Grade School and Catholic Central High School in Monroe, MI. An exceptional scholar, Rocque earned a BA and Masters in Mechanical Engineering and a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan. While attending law school, he was a full-time instructor at the University of Michigan School of Engineering. His brilliant professional career of over sixty years spanned from Vice President and General Counsel at Monroe Auto Equipment, Managing Partner at the law firm Miller Canfield, a longtime member of the Board of Directors for La-Z-Boy Chair, and Monroe Bank and Trust, as well as leading several enterprises that leveraged his extensive engineering background.
Rocque found his perfect match in Marcia Griffin, and they married in 1966, raising four children in their shared hometown of Monroe, MI. They traveled the world together, including the far East, the Middle East, and Europe extensively. The whole family loved the water, and Rocque, an avid sailor, captained the family boat for many trips on the Great Lakes as well as the Caribbean. Rocque and Marcia shared adventures as a family, learning to downhill ski and scuba dive alongside their children.
A devout Catholic, he truly excelled in all his roles: son, brother, husband, father, friend, teacher, scientist, philanthropist, lawyer, and even Knight in the Order of Malta. His sage advice captured the wisdom of the ages, as did his underlying kindness and compassion.
Rocque will be remembered and celebrated in Monroe, Michigan. A visitation will be held on Sunday, July 28th, 2024, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Bacarella Funeral Home, 1201 S Telegraph Rd, Monroe, MI 4816. On Monday, July 29th, there will be a visitation from 10:00 am-11:00 am at St. Mary's Parish Church, 127 N Monroe St, Monroe, MI 48162 followed by a Mass of the Resurrection at 11:00am. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate in Rocque's memory to St. Mary Catholic Central or the University of Michigan Transplant Center Camp Michitanki victors.us/rocquelipford
Online condolences and special memories may be shared with the family by visiting the obituary page at www.bacarellafuneralhome.com .