Edward Stanley Shipper Sr., 86, formerly of Florence, died Jan. 13, 2014, at Little Rock Hospice Home Care, Little Rock, Ark.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at Little Rock Funeral Home. His ashes will be interred at the Arkansas State Veterans Cemetery, North Little Rock.
Mr. Shipper was preceded in death by his parents, Hilda Shipper Israel and Morris Fuchs Shipper. He is survived by his wife of 24 years, Norma Rowell Shipper; his five children, Edward Jr., Stephanie, Maury, Paula, and Suzanne; and two stepsons, Tracy Rowell and Steve Rowell. He has ten grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and three stepgrandchildren. His younger brother, Stanley, and sister-in-law, Jane, live in Florence.
Born in Decatur, Mr. Shipper grew up in Florence, a town he dearly loved and always considered “home.” He returned to Florence after college, raising five children there, and being active in the community. Some of his fondest memories were around working in his family’s cotton brokerage business early in his career. In 1966, he founded the Shoals Picture newspaper with his former wife, Cheri, and served as publisher. He later moved to Nashville and migrated to Little Rock in 1990, after marrying his wife, Norma. He met Norma on a blind date arranged by his daughter, Suzanne, who met Norma at a convention in Las Vegas. A former private investigator, Norma quickly won his heart and became the love and inspiration of his life.
Admired for his sense of humor, Mr. Shipper had a keen ability to laugh at himself, and find humor even in the most mundane tasks in life. He never a met a stranger he didn’t like and often joked that he “talked a lot, but had nothing to say.” He also loved to wear funny hats.
Outside of Norma, some of his greatest joys included reading the Sunday New York Times and working its crossword puzzle, visiting the Purple Cow in Little Rock, patronizing the local farmers markets and hanging out at the local used book store. A self-professed bibliophile, he took great pleasure in his personal collection of history books. He also enjoyed discussing world affairs and had a particular fascination with China.
At age 16, Mr. Shipper graduated from Coffee High School and attended Dartmouth College, lettering in football and graduating Phi Beta Kappa. After his sophomore year in college, he voluntarily left to join the Navy and serve in World War II. He served as a Petty Officer 3rd Class and spent time stationed in Guam.
