Obituary of Larry Bailey Lipe

Larry Bailey Lipe, 71, of Tulsa, passed away on Tuesday, February 7, 2023.

Larry was born on July 11, 1951 to Carmon and Sybil Lipe and grew up in Fayetteville, Arkansas with his brother Ken. In Fayetteville, Larry played football, was an accomplished debater, and met the love of his life Nina. After graduating from Fayetteville High School, he joined Nina at the University of Arkansas where they were married on January 8, 1972 before he graduated with honors in 1973 with a BA in Public Administration. An active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, Larry was selected as one of 10 recipients of the Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities. Upon graduation, they moved to Dallas for SMU law school, where Larry served as the Leading Articles Editor and graduated with distinction in 1976.

Larry started his professional career at Laser Sharp law firm in Little Rock with Nina and their young daughters. In 1979, Larry and the family moved to Tulsa, where Larry became a partner at Hall Estill. In 1986, Larry and Jim Green started Lipe & Green, specializing in construction, general insurance coverage, and energy litigation. In 1997, Lipe & Green merged with Conner & Winters. Always an attentive mentor to younger attorneys, Larry earned a national reputation in the propane and natural gas litigation world and served as a Founder, President, and Chairman of the Propane Defense Association. Larry played pivotal roles in many legal associations, including the Oklahoma Bar Association (committee chair), was the first recipient of the Tulsa County Bar Association’s “Golden Rule” Professionalism and Ethics Award, and was a Senior Fellow in the Litigation Counsel of America. He received numerous awards, including the Oklahoma Journal Record’s Leadership in Law Award, Tulsa’s Best Lawyers, Best Commercial Litigation Lawyer in America, Top Rated Lawyer in Insurance Law, and was a member of the American Inns of Court (Master-Emeritus, Hudson-Hall-Wheaton Chapter). He also performed alternative dispute resolution as an arbitrator and a mediator.

Larry and Nina focused their philanthropic efforts with the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tulsa, Inc. for over 35 years. They were part of the establishment of the Tulsa House where Larry served on the board for many years as President, Capital Campaign Chair, Chairman of the Advisory Board, and was inducted into their Hall of Fame.

Larry enjoyed any activity, but nothing made him happier than 18 holes at Tulsa Country Club with his friends, especially his BFF Harvey Blumenthal. A lover of family vacation planning, Larry made sure everyone stayed busy with his endless quest for new adventures. His love of family could be seen through his attentive listening, gourmet grilling for family dinners, supreme advice-giving, and as an ardent cheerleader at his children’s and grandchildren’s activities and sporting events.

For 51 years, Larry and Nina celebrated a wonderful life together, raising their two daughters, Carrie (Rob) Gardenhire of Tulsa and Stephanie (David) Lansing of Hyattsville, MD. He also had the privilege of spending lots of time with his four grandchildren, Emma and Ainsley Gardenhire and Quinn and Gavin Lansing. He is survived by his brother, Ken (Susan) Lipe, sister-in-law, Linda Orr, nieces Angie Lipe and Marcia (Marc) Eustaquio, nephew Randy (Cassie) Orr, and great nieces and nephews Bailey Lipe, Madeline and Maddox Eustaquio, Clifford and Charlotte Orr. He was preceded in death by his parents and niece Jessie Lipe. His family and friends will lovingly remember Larry for his big heart, kind and gracious spirit, joyous laughter, and genuine interest in those he held so dear, even when coaching them on life goals.

In honor of Larry, a tribute gift can be made in his memory to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Tulsa via www.rmhctulsa.org or by mailing a check to ‘RMCH of Tulsa,’ 6102 S Hudson Ave, Tulsa, OK 74136, noting the Larry Lipe Memorial fund.

The Memorial Service for Larry Lipe is on Wednesday, February 15th, at 2:00 pm at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Tulsa.  The service will be live streamed on the St. John’s Episcopal Church Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sjtulsa