Sherman "Sherm" Keith Sipe

Sherman “Sherm” Keith Sipe 84, passed away on October 26, 2023. Born January 22, 1939, the only child of Fred Seth Sipe and Jennie “Jeane” Nikula Sipe, in Oak Park Illinois. As a boy growing up in Illinois, Sherman would often spend summers in the small town of Marcilene, Missouri with his Aunt Maggie, Fred’s sister, and her husband Lester. Spending lots of time outdoors, he learned to fish and hunt with his father and uncles. He was active in the Boy Scouts, ultimately reaching the rank of Life Scout. He completed all the requirements for Eagle Scout but missed receiving the rank when his Scoutmaster failed to send the necessary paperwork in, something he always regretted.

After graduating from Fenton High School in Bensenville Illinois in 1957, Sherman worked several different jobs before going on to serve a five-year Apprenticeship to become a tool and modelmaker with Chicago Aerial Industries. He would progress from Apprentice to Journeyman and on to Master Tool and Modelmaker. This would be the beginning of a lifelong passion for building things and working with his hands. Sherman would work at Chicago Aerial until 1967 when he and his best friend, Al Loll along with their wives moved to Boulder, Colorado to take jobs with IBM to staff a brand-new plant, north of the city. After living in apartments for a few years, he and first wife Elen would build a home themselves, in the small community of Sugarloaf Mountain, west of Boulder, just a mile or so down the road from Al and his wife Margie.

Sherman spent the next 24 years working for IBM, mostly as a tool and modelmaker, sometimes teaching younger machinists. In 1978, the company moved him and the family to Charlotte, North Carolina to open a new plant, before returning to Boulder two years later. Sherman would likely have spent his entire career with IBM, but changes at the company led them to close the model shop and offer him an opportunity to change careers and learn computer programming. Sherman quickly realized that programming was not for him, and he took advantage of an early retirement offer, leaving the company in 1991. He continued his career as a tool and modelmaker, briefly working for Owl Technologies in Longmont, and then at Storage Tek in Louisville, retiring after seven years there in 1999.

Sherman met his wife Lynette in 1992 at square dance lessons in Lafayette and they married in 1993, sharing thirty loving years together. Sherman met his first wife Elen in Illinois in 1964 and they married in 1966. They would go on to have three sons, Timothy, Benjamin and Joel. Although they would both remarry, Sherman and Elen remained friends afterwards.

Sherman was a voracious, lifelong reader, often preferring a good book to television. A firearms enthusiast, he enjoyed bird hunting, target shooting and was a member of the Boulder Rifle Club for over forty years. He was an avid woodworker and woodcarver and every home he lived in had to have a “workshop” for space to work in and store all his tools. He dabbled in music, learning to play both the banjo and harmonica. Sherm liked to cook, he loved spices, hot sauces and mustard and he never met a Crock-pot recipe he didn’t like.

After retirement, Sherman and Lynette continued Square Dancing, they travelled, going to Scotland, New Zealand, Wales and England. He enjoyed his hobbies, over the years, he made many gifts with his hands for family such as step stools held together entirely without screws or nails, unique pencil boxes, folding travel Cribbage boards, tiny working steam engine models, boomerangs, slingshots and more. He helped Lynette in her garden. He enjoyed time with his kids and grandchildren.

Sherman was active in his community; he was a Volunteer firefighter with the Sugarloaf Volunteer Fire Department. He helped with Meals on Wheels in Lafayette. He helped regularly at the Lafayette Police Department, attending the Citizen’s Police academy multiple times, assisting on court days, helping with many different events including the Santa-Cop and Trunk-or-Treat programs and recently passed the ten-year mark as a volunteer.

Sherman is survived by his wife Lynette; her daughter Lynell Bagdonas, her son Gus Steppen with wife Suzy, and their two daughters Lucy and Georgia. His former spouse Elen; their sons, Timothy Sipe with wife Michelle Fox, Benjamin Sipe with wife Jennifer, and Joel Sipe, along with grandchildren; David Sipe, Emma Sipe and Kellan Sipe. He is preceded in death by both of his parents, and step-grandson Zann Bagdonas.

Memorial Services will be at First United Methodist Church, 1255 Centaur Village Dr, Lafayette, CO on November 17, 2023, at 11:00 am. Reception to follow at 12:30 pm at the Josephine Commons Meals on Wheels location, 455 North Burlington Avenue, Lafayette, Colorado.

The family asks that anyone wishing to give in remembrance of Sherman’s life consider a charitable donation to Coal Creek Meals on Wheels in Lafayette in his name.

Questions may be directed to Timothy Sipe at 303-588-8950 or Lynette Sipe at 303-666-7237.

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