September 8, 1935 ~ June 13, 2021
Gail Ainslie Rippel, 85, passed away on June 13, 2021 in Denham Springs, Louisiana. Born September 8, 1935 in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, she gained her tenacity and strength early on, even living in a tent temporarily during the Great Depression. Gail lived an adventurous life. As a young girl, she was a Girl Guide and summered with relatives in the Georgian Bay area where she was never intimidated by the cold water and always insisted on jumping right in! Gail graduated from Kennedy Collegiate Institute, and as a young adult, worked for CN Railways, TWA and United Airlines. She often traveled from Canada into Detroit with her sister Joan for dresses and fabric and lived in New York City for a time. Gail met the love of her life, Dr. James Rippel, while living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After marrying, they eventually settled down and started a family in Denham Springs, Louisiana in November of 1963. Gail began managing their rental properties as well as their Chiropractic office. She made these challenging jobs look easy; indeed, she never retired. Gail also worked at Malcolm Travel in Baton Rouge. She not only enjoyed working in the travel industry, Gail was an avid traveler. She traveled extensively in the US and Canada as well as England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Austria. She was a longtime member of First United Methodist Church of Denham Springs and used her free time to volunteer at their Food Bank. Gail loved to garden and was a member of the Denham Springs Garden Club. She shared her love of gardening with her sister, Joan, with whom she has always remained close. Gail and Joan enjoyed being with each other and whenever they were together, there was always a lot of laughter. Gail’s most precious past time was spending time with her children and grandchildren. There was always time to play hide and seek (as to which she was rarely victorious), board games, cards, chess and to work on a puzzle. She never missed an opportunity to spend time with family. Gail was preceded in death by her husband, James Rippel, father John Ainslie, stepfather and mother Karl and Dorothy (Grayson) Kellington, and infant twins, Daniel and Samuel Rippel. She is survived by her son, David, his wife Laura, and their two children – Benjamin and Caroline, all of Plano, Texas; her son Brian, his wife Nancy, and their two children – Chloe and Eva, all of Spotsylvania, Virginia; her son Jeffrey, his wife Krista, and their two children – Andrew and William, all of Denham Springs, Louisiana. She is also survived by her sister, Joan Long of Prairieville, Louisiana, her sister-in-law, Gertrude Urban of Orlando, Florida and many loving cousins, nieces and nephews throughout the United States. A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held at First United Methodist Church in Denham Springs on July 3, 2021 from 10 am – 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, donation may be made to First United Methodist Church of Denham Springs, their Food Bank, or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Please sign the online guestbook at www.sealefuneral.com
12 comments
Susan O’Pry
January 7, 2022 at 12:57 am
Brian, I’m sorry to be so behind in offering my condolences. I’ll be praying for you and your family. May Mrs. Gail and Dr. Ripple Rest In Peace. God Bless
Michelle Billiot
June 25, 2021 at 12:19 pm
I will miss seeing her in the hair Salon. She was always so full of life and busy doing something when she came in. She was such a very sweet lady, I’m praying for your entire family. I am so very sorry for your loss and for everyone who knew her.
Brenda Edwards
June 22, 2021 at 10:35 pm
Our family mourns with your family at the loss of your mom. We have many good memories from our younger years from visiting your parent’s home. Love from the D.C. and Barbara Ballard family.
Susan Wiese
June 22, 2021 at 2:35 pm
So very sorry for your family’s loss of a wonderful mother. I will pray for you.
Cliff Dolese
June 21, 2021 at 2:53 pm
Brian and David,
May god bless you and your families. I am sorry for the loss of your mother. I can remember your parents from our days at Catholic High.
My deepest sympathy
Cliff Dolese
Patti Urban
June 21, 2021 at 3:50 am
RIP aunt Gail! Give uncle Jimmy and Grandpa Eddie a big hug from us! You will be missed!♥️🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
beverly jones
June 20, 2021 at 6:04 pm
I can’t even begin to say how sorry I am for your family’s loss. Aunt Gail was one of the nicest women I’ve ever known. The last time I saw her and your dad was at my dad’s funeral. My daughter, Rachel, was pregnant with her 3rd boy at the time and I remember her telling Rachel what a joy it has been having three boys! The love and pride she had for her family was so apparent. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you during this difficult time. Love, Bev
Linda Pipp
June 20, 2021 at 12:52 am
Gail will be greatly missed by ALL who knew her or even came in contact with her.
The James D. Miley Family
June 19, 2021 at 11:59 pm
Mrs. Gail was loved very much and will be missed by all who knew her. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time. May Jesus comfort you and fill that void spot with His love.
Mary Ballard
June 19, 2021 at 11:50 pm
Jeff, I’m so sorry that your mother was taken from this earth. She was a rare piece of art in a dimly lit room. She brought joy and peace everywhere she went. She was full of life. I can only pray that my golden years will mirror her days with you and the boys! We are praying for you guys
Sharon Dickson
June 19, 2021 at 6:14 pm
We are so sorry to hear of her passing, and will keep the family in our prayers. Cherish the wonderful memories she has left behind.
Sincerely,
Cliff and Sharon Dickson
Darlene Rippel Lee
June 19, 2021 at 10:57 am
I’m so sorry for your loss. I pray God’s blessing will give the family peace.