Roy Carl Shippee, 84, of Middletown, husband of the late Ana (Lopez Cruz) Shippee, died Sunday June 30, 2024, at his home.

Roy was an extraordinarily kind and loving husband, father, papa, brother, and friend. He will be remembered and missed dearly.

Roy is survived by his son, Roy Shippee Lopez and his wife Suzanne of Middletown; daughter, Ana Ellington of East Haven; sisters, Leah Geer of Phoenix, Arizona and Theresa Falvey (James) of Plainfield; six grandchildren, Stephen Ellington (Lynn), Maria Ellington, Ashley Shippee (Adam), Antonio Shippee Lopez, Kelly Ferrara (Jesse) and Kevin Richards;  five great grandchildren, Isaias, Hudson, Roland, Rome and Hayden. He is also survived by many nieces, nephews, and cousins in the United States and Spain. In addition to his wife and parents, he was predeceased by his stepfather Edward Osowski, son Oscar Shippee (Renee) and brother Edward Osowski.

Roy was born in New London, CT, son of the late Giles Roy Shippee and Emma Leah (Hamilton) Osowski. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and proudly served with the US Air Force for over 20 years and retired as Master Sergeant.  He then worked in the U.S. Postal Service for 24 years, where he retired as the assistant postmaster in Jewett City.

Roy "Skip" loved and cherished his family and friends both in the United States and in Spain. His favorite moments were spent sharing a bottle of Spanish wine and good food while talking leisurely with those he loved. He always had wonderful life stories he shared with his family. A favorite among them included how he met his wife, Ana, and their use of the Spanish/English dictionary to communicate on their first date.  Roy was a voracious reader who loved and was interested in many genres.  He recently began building model military airplanes which are displayed around his home.  He was extremely proud of his grandchildren and loved hearing the updates on their lives, which included talking to and hearing about his great grandchildren. Roy also was a huge fan of Real Madrid. Nothing would interrupt him from watching a futbol game when they were playing.  Please keep him in your thoughts when watching Real Madrid and know he is looking down on us.

Funeral services are private and burial will be in St. Sebastian Cemetery, Rockfall. There are no calling hours.  Those who wish may send memorial contributions to The Air Force Aid Society, 1550 Crystal Drive Suite 809 Arlington, VA 22202/https://portal.afas.org/donate/. To share memories or express condolences online please visit www.biegafuneralhome.com.