On December 12, 2023, Kathleen Ripton McGibbon, 71, a wonderful and loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and aunt passed peacefully surrounded by her husband, daughter and son. She has fought a cancer diagnosis valiantly since June 2022 through multiple rounds of radiation, chemotherapy and surgeries always maintaining a positive outlook. Born December 19, 1951, the youngest daughter to Drs. David Tully and Elizabeth Amy (McIntyre) Ripton, Rochester, NY, she one of 11 children. She graduated high school from the Academy of the Sacred Heart High School in Rochester, had post primary education at Temple University in Philadelphia with administrative positions at Michaels, Stearn & Co., Genesse Hospital, and Xerox in Rochester, NY. Kathy was a beautiful writer and an avid reader, consuming a classic or one of her much-loved English detective novels in short order. She enjoyed refinishing antique furniture and finding vintage collectibles. She did the fundraising for and ran a summer tennis program for young children and teens in her 500+ home Stonebridge neighborhood for several years and was critical leader in a county-wide Task Force for resolution of an environmental disaster across over 10 communities. Kathy was a powerful, vibrant, no holds barred, woman of unparalleled integrity who loved and was loved by many.

She was preceded in death by her mother, Dr. Elizabeth Amy (McIntyre) Ripton, her father, Dr. David Tully Ripton, her sisters Ann (Ripton) McIntyre and Mary Susan (Ripton) McIntyre, her brothers, Patrick Ripton, John (Nancy) Ripton, Mark Ripton and William Ripton.

Her life will forever be cherished in the lives of her husband of 51 years, Gary, daughter Ann (Kyle) Lowder of Charlotte, NC and her son David (Danny) McGibbon of Charlotte, NC; her grandchild Mary Grace Lowder; her brothers David Ripton, Jr (Ella). and Stephen Ripton (Marianne); her sisters Betsy Ripton and Ellen Ripton and a host of devoted nieces and nephews, cousins and friends in Rochester, NY, Minneapolis, MN, Silver Spring, MD, Charleston, SC Agoura Hills, CA, Bogart, GA, Alexandria, VA, Wilmington, NC, Fairfax, VA, Grand Rapids, MI, Kenosha, WI, NY, NY, Quaker Hill, CT, Atlanta, GA and Raleigh, NC.

A private celebration of life service for family will be held in Raleigh, NC on Friday, December 15, 2023 and Rochester, NY at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Kathy’s name can be made to the American Cancer Society: https://www.cancer.org/donate/memorial-giving.html.