Christine Lois Fipphen

Christine Lois Churchill Fipphen, 92, of Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, died on March 5th at the Mountain View Community in Ossipee. Chris was born in Fort Fairfield, Maine on September 6, 1927, the daughter of William Leigh Churchill and Blanche Edith (Currier) Churchill. She grew up in Fort Fairfield, where she graduated from Fort Fairfield High School in 1946. She graduated from Westbrook Junior College in 1948, and later Bryant Stratton School in Boston. Chris worked for several years as a bookkeeper at Charles F. Rittenhouse in Boston. In 1956, Chris married John Stanley Fipphen of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, whom she had met at the Old South Church in Boston. Chris and Fip raised their family in Northborough, Massachusetts, where they lived for almost 30 years. They moved to Wolfeboro in 1987. Chris gave her time and energy generously to her family, her friends and neighbors, her faith, and her community. She was a model of volunteerism throughout her life, serving in numerous volunteer roles in local churches, historical societies, and schools, in Northborough and Wolfeboro. Of particular note are the many leadership positions that she held at the Trinity Church in Northborough and her many years of service to the Northborough Historical Society. Forever busy and involved, she always found time to write letters to distant friends or family, or work on her next photo album project. Chris was an accomplished genealogist, a passion she shared with her family. She spent many years traveling New England and New Brunswick researching her ancestors. She published several articles in Downeast Ancestry and was a contributor to the Maine Families in 1790 series published by the Maine Genealogical Society. Chris was an active member and supporter of the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston. Chris and Fip traveled to England extensively during their retirement, creating cherished memories that were well documented by Chris in her twin roles of photographer and travel diarist. She leaves her family an extensive manuscript and album of her research on her family tree. From 1979 to 1987 she served as the curator of the Northborough Historical Society, and later served on the board of the Wolfeboro Historical Society. She co-authored the Images of America volume on Wolfeboro, which is still in print. She also was one of the editors of the 3-volume History of Wolfeboro, NH, 1770-1994, published in 1996. She was also an avid photographer, crossword enthusiast, cribbage player and baseball fan, among the many passions of a much beloved and very special lady. Chris was predeceased ten years ago by her husband of 53 years, John Fipphen. She is survived by her two sons: Richard Churchill Fipphen of Manhattan, and Peter John Fipphen, of Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and his wife Holly; her four grandchildren: Daniel Fipphen of Washington, DC, Emily Fipphen of Manhattan, Elizabeth Fipphen and Rebecca Fipphen, both of Chelmsford; her first cousin Mae Louise Churchill Crooker; and her daughter-in-law, Janet Rosenblum. Her twin sisters Muriel Churchill Rice and Miriam Churchill Patterson both predeceased her. A memorial service in Chris’s honor will be held at the Aldersgate United Methodist Church, 242 Boston Post Road, Chelmsford, Massachusetts on at a later date. Private graveside services will be held in the spring. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations in Chris's memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association or the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. The Baker-Gagne Funeral Homes and Cremation Service of Wolfeboro is assisting the family with the arrangements. Please share your condolences, messages, stories and sign an online guest book at www.baker-gagnefuneralhomes.com