Ann Rebecca “Becky” (nee: Corey) Phipps,

August 13, 1922 – April 16, 2024

The world lost a fierce advocate for education, history, and literacy on April 16, 2024, when Becky Phipps died peacefully at 101 years young in Albany, Ohio. She was born Ann Rebecca Corey on August 13, 1922, to the late Walter “Doc” Corey and Mary Torrence Corey in Chardon, Ohio. She is preceded in death by her wonderful husband Chuck Phipps and her daughter Susan (Phipps) Sedlack. She is survived by her daughter Elizabeth (Phipps) Stills of The Plains, Ohio.  She was Grammy to four grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild, and Mrs. Phipps to hundreds of Chardon High School and Edgewood High School students.

She had an amazing life; she grew up as happy as you could in the depression and graduated from Chardon High School at just 16 years old.  She went to Stephens College in Columbia MO for her first two years of college.  She transferred then to Denison College in Ohio to graduate from college in 1942. Let’s think about that, she graduated college in 1942! She traveled to her college years on a train, with everything she needed packed in a trunk. This skill came in handy when packing for numerous camping vacations with her grandchildren.

She met her husband, Chuck Phipps in high school. They married in 1942, but Chuck was back and forth in the service (as of course there was a war going on). They lived in Biloxi, Mississippi that first year as Chuck was stationed there, but Becky moved home to Chardon when it was time for her first daughter Susan to be born in 1943. Elizabeth was born in 1947 after Chuck was home more permanently.

She raised the girls in Chardon and helped run the Corey Hospital until her mom, Mary Torrence Corey asked her to be a substitute teacher at Chardon High School (Mary T. was on the school board). Becky went back to college at nearby Hiram to get her teaching certificate and soon she was teaching full-time at Chardon.

Becky and Chuck moved to Ashtabula, Ohio in 1963, where Becky started teaching at Edgewood High School.  She taught English and American History for the next 19 years until her retirement in 1982.  Somewhere (somehow) in there, she also received her master’s degree from Edinboro University. She was a favorite with students, and we have heard many stories over the years of her advising the Yearbook, the National Honor Society and AFS (American Field Service, now known as AFS intercultural Programs).

She was a strong female educator before we had very many role models.  She was a feminist before definitions.  She told stories, corrected the grammar of total strangers (and probably would have red-lined this obituary!), and opened doors to other ideas and other cultures.  The world is a better place because she was in it.

Private Family Service will be held.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Burr Funeral Home in Chardon, Ohio.  Information and condolences online at www.burrservice.com.