Celebration of Life
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, Utah, 84092Saturday Apr 18, 2026: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM
1933 ~ 2026
Larkin Sunset Gardens
1950 E Dimple Dell Rd, Sandy, Utah, 84092Saturday Apr 18, 2026: 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM
Richard William Shipley, better known as Dick Shipley, was born, November 24, 1933. He died April 4th 2026 after a life truly well lived, surrounded by family and loved ones. Dick was born to his father, William Shipley, who taught him the value of hard work, and his mother, Helen Nielson, where he learned compassion and kindness. Dick was predeceased by his parents, and a sister Darlene Carter. He is survived by his wife, companion and best friend, Beth Ann Davis Shipley. They were married for 73 years. The standing joke was that they got married at recess one day. Also survived by daughters Susan Greenstreet, (Scott, deceased); Cindy Besendorfer, (Mark); Elaine Johansen, (Grant); and son, Steven Shipley. Survived by two brothers, Dan and Bill and a sister, Claudia Kueffner and many nieces and nephews..
Dick was truly a self-made man. He was at times a painter, a baker, a welder, crane operator and then a construction superintendent for Horne Construction and Layton Construction, where he was respected by all he worked with. In each profession he engaged in he taught himself the skills needed and always did his best work. He took great pride in the buildings he built, including the Primary Children’s Hospital, a huge cheese redistribution center in Fillmore and the LDS Conference Center in Salt Lake and many others. In the meantime, he and his high school sweetheart, Beth Ann, were raising four children. Beth Ann held down the fort while Dick traveled to California, Arizona, Wyoming and other places. Somewhere along the way, he built his dream house. He braved freezing winters and broiling summers to provide for his family.
An avid fisherman and sportsman, he loved fly fishing, once he learned that there was more to fishing than worms. He also learned about things like limits, seasons and catch-and-release. He loved his family and delighted in teasing the grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
There is a saying that Dick believed in: “Days spent fishing cannot be deducted from a man’s life.” I might include camping outdoors as well. In any event, Dick’s two favorite places on Earth were Corn Creek Canyon, near Kanosh, and Callao in the Deep Creek Mountains. They were nothing spectacular, by themselves. But for Dick, this is how and where families came together, where the torch is being readied to be passed on. Where the patriarch, the master of telling scary campfire stories, terrifies The next generation or two. Dick considered scaring his children and grandchildren a sworn duty. He lived an honest and moral life, with the exception of those few misdemeanor fish and game violations in his early years. He was a man of his time and was a role model for his family and those he met along the way. He will be greatly missed but fondly remembered. His remains will be cremated and a Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, April 18th, 2026 11:30-2:00pm Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy,Ut.
Friends and family may post condolences at Larkin.com
Hello Bethany
And the rest of the family
I send my condolences
I pray that your minds will be at ease
We know Dick is in a much better place
I’ve always looked up to my uncle
I’ve always thought of him as an excellent man, husband, father, all walks of this life
I have to use my uncle‘s name in conversations about construction
Bragging about his achievements and accomplishments
Sharingthe same last name as him always made me very proud
Best wishes, Ron
Shipley family; I am so deeply and profoundly sorry for this unimaginable loss. Dick was an excellent human being. Truly one of the finest. I have been collecting my thoughts and choosing my words for this message for days now. When you lose a parent, your world kind of gets knocked of it’s axis. And it never really completely “rights” itself. May your memories of him envelope you and bring you comfort and peace. I know you will find peace in the love and laughter you’ll share with one another in the coming weeks. One story I want to share. Cindy will remember this; Gary’s dad was selling Fiats at the time, and he got a convertible sports car for Gary to use for the weekend. We decided to go to Lava hot springs on a Sunday and invited Cindy. She immediately said her dad would never let her go on a Sunday. Gary and I went over and begged him to let her come with us. And he relented. He said because it was Gary, whom he really trusted because he was “a good and responsible kid” he would allow it. I hope you all know how much that meant to Gary. Still does. Let’s face it, the world was a better place with Dick in it. And by the way, we had an absolute blast!! I love you all. And I loved Dick. May he rest in heavenly peace. ❤️
Mickey
Grandpa, we love you and we will all miss you. There's never enough time in the world for our lives, so it matters most what we do with that time. You did just that. I'm grateful of the time we had. I think of all the different stories I could share but I'm going keep it short.
Calleo. Big Red, a flat tire and a near slide off a rather steep "road". Followed by a spectacular night sky walk to the distant camp at the summit with a see of stars and the Milky way. I love the desert and its subtle treasures it offers.
You looked at life that way. I will try to do the same. I hope everyone will.