Noah Pippin

Noah Hooper Pippin, 30 of Los Angeles, formerly of Sutton's Bay, died while hiking, September 2010 in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Lewis and Clark County, Helena, Montana. He was born March 10, 1980 in Memphis, TN, to Michael and Rosalie (Smith) Pippin. When Noah was a year old, the family moved to Berkeley, California for a year and then Albany, California. Noah's two younger brothers were both born in the San Francisco Bay area where the family did missionary work. In 1984 Noah and his family moved back to Memphis where they resided until the middle of his 3rd year of grade school. In 1988 the family moved to Sutton's Bay where Noah graduated in 1998. Noah attended Central Michigan University and then Michigan State University. He joined the United States Marine Corps in 2003 and served in 3 tours in Iraq including the first battle for Fallujah in 2004. He was honorably discharged in 2007 and became a member of the California National Guard. He also was an officer of the Los Angeles Police Department until June of 2010. Noah was an avid reader particularly of books about philosophy, science, history, and economics and loved to discuss movies and books and debate online. He also enjoyed playing strategy video games. Challenging himself physically was a lifetime pursuit from playing soccer from early childhood to playing high school football to running and gym workouts. He was a weapons specialist in the Marines and thoroughly enjoyed sharpening his skills and teaching others how to handle weapons. Surviving are his parents, Michael and Rosalie (Smith) Pippin of Lake Ann, brothers Josiah (Ashley) Pippin of Traverse City, Caleb Pippin of Laredo, TX; aunts and uncles Elton W. Smith of Grand Blanc, Ted C.(Mary) Smith of Branson, MO, Connie(Smith) Hughey of Central Lake, Marilyn (Smith) Ziegler of Memphis, TN, Caroline (Smith) Pfund of Central Lake, King (Martha Jean) Smith of Branson, MO, Doris (Taylor)Smith of Bellaire, Margaret (Sadler) Smith of Alden, Doris Gilbrech of Fayetteville, Ark. and many cousins. He was preceded in death by his grandparents William H. and Virginia Pippin and step-grandmother Helene "Scottie" Pippin, Nora (Wilson) Smith and King O. Smith; uncles Gene V. Smith, Douglas C. Smith, William O. Smith, Ralph Koutnik, Ashley C. Hughey, David L. Ziegler, Thomas H. Pfund, and aunts Barbara (Smith) Koutnik and Margaret (Brohn) Smith. Funeral services will be held Friday, September 14 at 11 a.m. at Living Hope Church, 3050 S. Airport Rd in Traverse City. Graveside services with Military Honors will follow the service at 4 p.m. in Lakeview Cemetery, Bellaire. The family will receive friends Thursday, September 13, from 5 to 8 p.m. also at Living Hope Church. Memorial contributions may be made online to www.semperfifund.org to benefit wounded marines and their families. Arrangements have been handled by the Bellaire Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes. Please sign his online guestbook www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com.