Ypsilanti Township man bids a special farewell to wife of 63 years after tragic fire

Freeman and Grace met at a dance in Carleton. He was a truck driver at the time. She was a farm girl.

They raised two sons, spending many of their golden years volunteering, traveling and camping, family members said.

“They went to church together,” said their eldest son, Terry Tippett of Augusta Township. “They went shopping together for everything. They liked to go visit family."

As they aged, Freeman Tippett, a retired pipe fitter from Ford Motor Company, kept a closer eye on Grace. He was extremely fond of her, often calling her "Babe" and "Mother," said Terry Tippett's wife, Suzanne Tippett.

"He was very protective over her," she said. "She was getting a little frail, even though she was still busy."

Grace Tippett and her husband Freeman Tippett are pictured on the dance floor at a family wedding in Chesaning in July. Grace Tippett died in a fire at the couple's Ypsilanti Township home on Feb. 3. Freeman Tippett was injured and remains hospitalized. 

On Feb. 3 at about 5 p.m., a fire tore through the couple's Stony Creek Road home, where they had lived for 54 years and raised their family. Grace Tippett, 87, who was resting in a bedroom, died at the scene of smoke inhalation. 

Freeman Tippett made it out, but suffered burns to his head, ears and left hand. He was taken by ambulance to the University of Michigan Hospital, where he remains in the Trauma-Burn Intensive Care Unit. The house was destroyed, family members said.

The fire started in a breezeway next to the kitchen, but the cause remains under investigation, Ypsilanti Township Fire Capt. Vic Chevrette said Sunday. Hours after the fire, family members gathered at Freeman Tippett's bedside in the hospital and gave him the news about Grace. A pastor was with them.

“They woke him up, and we told him about it,” Suzanne Tippett said. “We also let him know that his house was gone. He closed his eyes and shed a couple tears.

"We just told him to try and get some rest. I did tell him it wasn’t his time.”

As Freeman Tippett faced a long road to recovery, the family worked on funeral arrangements. It soon became clear he wouldn't be healthy enough to attend the funeral of his wife of more than 63 years. 

Suzanne Tippett said, “My husband and I knew that the only way (Freeman) would accept that she was gone is he would have to see her.”

So Suzanne Tippett and other family members met with Julie Roberts, a clinical social worker at the Trauma-Burn ICU. Family members asked whether it was possible to bring Grace Tippett to the hospital.

While no one at the hospital could recall such a request ever being made, staff members sprung into action. Roberts contacted the hospital's Office of Decedent Affairs and Brad Stark, president of Stark Funeral Service in Ypsilanti, which was handling the funeral arrangements.

On the afternoon of Feb. 8, within 24 hours after the family's request, hospital staff brought Freeman Tippett up to the second-floor chapel on a gurney to see his wife in her casket. A burn unit nurse, respiratory therapist, social worker, hospital chaplain, the family's pastor and others also were in the chapel.

"We said, 'Can you see what's happening, Pop?" Suzanne Tippett said. "And he was nodding his head up and down."

Freeman Tippett, who was bandaged and unable to speak, reached over with his right hand and grabbed onto his wife's arm. For more than 40 minutes, he was at her side.

“He cried a little bit and closed his eyes, then opened them up,” Suzanne Tippett said.

Others also shed tears, Terry Tippett said. “There wasn’t one dry eye in the place,” he said.

Suzanne Tippett, who is a registered nurse but doesn't work at U-M hospital, said what the hospital did was remarkable. “U of M moved heaven and earth to get her down there,” she said.

At least 25 hospital employees pitched in, Roberts said. 

“It needed to be done for this family,” she said. “This is the first time that we’ve worked with a funeral home to facilitate a viewing, essentially a funeral at the hospital."

Marc Littleson, a funeral director at Stark Funeral Service, who assisted with the funeral, said the company was going to do everything possible to accommodate the family. It was wonderful the hospital gave Freeman Tippett a chance to say goodbye, he said.

"They have no idea what they did for Mr. Tippett," Littleson said. "Mr. Tippett didn't have an opportunity to say goodbye one last time. When it comes to the grieving process, that's a huge step."

Terry Tippett said his family will be forever grateful. 

On Sunday, Freeman Tippett celebrated his 87th birthday. Terry Tippett asks that everyone keep his father in their prayers.

“Even though this is a horrible tragedy, there is still good in the world,” he said. “People are willing to go the extra steps to make things happen.”

Lee Higgins is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at (734) 623-2527 and email at leehiggins@annarbor.com.