Mr. William Glenn Tippin, Sr., age 92, of Sparta, TN, passed away peacefully Monday, April 18, 2022, at Life Care Center of Sparta.

He was married to the late Lucy Vivian Jeter Tippin, for 53 years. "Annie" was no doubt his greatest love.

Mr. Tippin, affectionately known by those who loved him as Uncle Billy and BT, was born in Evergreen, AL.  According to his own hand-written account, he "resolved at approximately 10 years of age to work a lifetime in aviation" and he held firmly to that resolve.  His first airplane ride was in a J-3 Piper Cub in the spring of 1946, and he spent his whole life pursuing his love of aviation.  In his aviation career, he was presented with several awards and recognitions from the FAA, a testament to his unfailing integrity, high standards of safety and constant pursuit of excellence.

His love for aviation was matched only by his love for the state of Alaska.  After reading The Call of the Wild by Jack London, he vowed to someday make Alaska his home.  He made good on that vow and worked on the Arctic Coast for several years.  Later in life, he travelled to Alaska each summer to combine two of his great passions – aviation and fly fishing.  His remains will be strewn over a particular spot (the coordinates of which were given to his family) on the Jarvis River where he loved to fish for grayling.

He served his country by enlisting in the Alabama National Guard which was called into active duty during the Korean conflict.

The greatest thing that can be said about Billy, Dad, Grandpa, Uncle Billy or BT was that if he loved you, you were loved and there was nothing you could do to ever change that.

The family of Mr. Tippin include:

Son, William "Glenn" Tippin, Jr. (Robin) and his children and their families, Jason (Kim, children Layla and Noah), Brianne (children Trey, Kellan and Brooklyn) and Nicholas (Elise, children Maddie and Blake).

Daughter, Anna Virginia ("Jena") Tippin Kihn (Chris) and children Justice and Maria.

Two sons predeceased Mr. Tippin, Robert Willis (Stacy, children Daniel, David and Jessica Celeste) and an infant son, David Timothy.

Sister, Iris Weaver (Paul) of Mobile, AL, and her children, Jeff (Mary Chaline) and Jennifer "JJ" Huggins (Daryl).

Nieces and nephews:  Clay Tippin (Gail), Terzah Tippin Poe (Bob), Aaron Tippin (Thea, children Ted (Sarah) and Tom), Charla Smith (Ken, child Lorelai) and Connie Robinson (David).

Others who predeceased Mr. Tippin are his parents, Willis and Eleanor Tippin, siblings Emory Tippin (Tempe), his twin brother John Tippin (Lillian), and sisters Ruth Wood (Thurmon) and Sylvia Dodd (Donnie), his niece Beth Reed (Alan) and nephew Emory Tippin.

A private gathering will be held in Mr. Tippin's memory and honor at a later date.

In honor of Mr. Tippin and to understand his depth of love for aviation, the family encourages those who knew and loved him to read his favorite poem, High Flight by John Gillespie Magee, Jr.