Ruth Tipton Obituary - Irving, Texas | Browns Memorial Funeral Home
Ruth Tipton
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Obituary for Ruth Opal Tipton (Sanders)

Ruth Opal  Tipton (Sanders)
Opal Tipton, 91, of Irving died Saturday morning, July 26, 2014. Mrs. Tipton was a long-time resident of Irving. She and her husband, Clint Tipton, moved to Irving in 1949, following their favorite minister, Brother JW Lindsey, who located to Irving to Pastor the First Methodist Church – and the church was their home for the rest of their lives. Opal was born Ruth Opal Sanders in Lovelady, TX to Joseph and Sallie Sanders. One of eight children, she is survived by one sister, Merl Foster, of Huntsville/Trinity, TX and one sister-in-law Winona Sanders of Wichita Falls, TX. She is preceded in death by her husband, her best friend, her first and only love, her “Dear Clint”, who passed away in 2000. She is also preceded in death by her siblings Izora Russell of San Bernardino, CA, Stella Peterson of Kountze, TX, Inez Martin of Grand Prairie, TX, Ida Lewis of Tyler, TX, Wanda Cunningham of Irving, TX, and Joseph Sanders of Wichita Falls. Opal leaves behind numerous nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors, and family who dearly love her and will miss her terribly. She touched so many lives and loved, raised, taught, influenced so many of us… to list everyone here would take up entirely too much time and space. Opal had many talents including painting china, making candy, sewing, gardening, cooking, crochet, and knitting. Everyone who knew Opal would remember her famous candies usually being served on one of her hand painted pieces of china. Opal’s greatest strength, though, was her leadership. She had a natural, internal drive to serve, take initiative, work hard, organize, lead, recruit, and delegate that naturally placed her into the role of leader. For over 25 years, Opal was an Administrative Assistant in the IISD mostly at Farine Elementary School. She and her husband were never able to have children of their own, but it seems their lives revolved around children none-the-less. Opal was a dearly loved Sunday School Teacher at FUMC for many years and taught the love of the Lord, Jesus Christ, to the children in the church growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. She was a highly organized and active Girl Scout Leader for many years and later in life was inducted into the National Girl Scout “Hall of Fame” in New York City. Because of her Scouting Leadership, she received a special invitation to the 100 year celebration in Washington DC to have lunch with First Lady, Barbara Bush. Throughout her life she served in numerous capacities and “ministries” in her church, her community, her work, and in Girl Scouts.

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