Kenneth Gale Pipes, 91, of Snow Camp passed away at the Home Place of Burlington on Tuesday, November 22, 2022.
Ken was born on August 31, 1931 in Boone County, Missouri to the late Porter Drake Pipes and Lora Kathryn Gardner Pipes. He grew up in Mexico, Missouri. He was a veteran of the U.S. Army which he served during the Korean War. He got his Electrical Engineering degree from University of Missouri and started working at Western Electric. He moved around for several years but ended up in North Carolina, in Winston-Salem, and eventually to Guildford Center where he retired from then AT&T.
He was a member of the First Christian United Church of Christ in Burlington. He used his business skills to help with the books for the church tithes and offerings, technical skills to record the services for anyone who missed it, and all-around handy man to repair the building as needed.
He was known around Alamance County for his beekeeping. Ken could always be found at the county fair with the bee display and honey for sale. Besides being a beekeeper with 30 hives, he was a part time instructor of the beekeeping course at Alamance Community College for 20 years. He was also an avid gardener, growing the best tomatoes that he enjoyed sharing with his church family and anyone who wanted them, volunteered with Meals on Wheels and each year he helped tell visitors at the NC State Fair about honeybees. He also visited many schools in Alamance, Forsyth and Wake Counties to share his knowledge of honeybees with young students.
Ken is preceded in death by his parents and 3 brothers. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Lola Mae (Spotswood) Pipes, two daughters, Linda Brim and husband John of Pfafftown, Janice Taylor and husband Tom of Raleigh; son, Jerry Pipes and wife Cindy of Clemmons; six grandchildren, Lauren, Kristen, Meagan, Morgan, Madison and Travis; and two great-grandchildren, Hadley and Sadie.
The funeral service will be conducted at the Rich & Thompson Chapel in Burlington on Saturday, November 26, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. by Rev. Jamie Fonville with the family receiving friends from 1:00 until 2:00 p.m. prior to the service.
Burial will follow on Tuesday morning at Alamance Memorial Park.
Memorials may be made to Community Home Care and Hospice, 2730 Tucker Street, Burlington, NC 27215.
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