Mr. Ralph David Nipper, 73, of Knightdale, NC went to be with the Lord on Friday, November 29, 2019.

Visitation will be held on Friday, December 6, 2019 at 1:00pm followed by a memorial service at 2:00pm, both held at the Montlawn Funeral Home Chapel. A graveside service with military honors will follow in Montlawn Memorial Park.

Mr. Nipper was born in Raleigh, NC on January 22, 1946 to the late Howard Floyd Nipper and Beverly (Horne) King. He graduated from Knightdale High School in 1964. After high school he studied architecture at North Carolina State University before joining the United States Air Force in 1968. David served as an Air Intelligence Operations Specialist in the 2d Bomb Wing Unit at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and the Air Force Good Conduct Medal. He met his wife of 48 years, Bernadette Lombardi, when she was stationed with the Air Force in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1974, he earned an Architectural Technician Degree from W.W. Holding Tech School. He retired from Wake County Public Schools after serving as a Project Manager of Engineering. Not wanting to sit idle, he worked part-time as a general contractor for several years following retirement.

David was known to be a very intelligent man, gentle in spirit, and always willing to lend a hand to anyone in need. He was an honorable, loyal, and patient man who loved and was loved by his family dearly. Some of his favorite hobbies included drawing, painting, photography, and deep-sea fishing. He also enjoyed playing sports and joined a local baseball league in his thirties. After his daughter was in a nearly fatal car accident leaving her completely blind, David volunteered with a local Lions Club International group to advocate for individuals with physical disabilities. He enjoyed meeting regularly with old classmates and having breakfast with a group of close friends in his hometown.

Ralph David Nipper was preceded in death by his father, Howard Floyd Nipper. He is survived by his wife, Bernadette (Lombardi) Nipper; his three daughters: Lisa Smith and her husband Phillip, Jennifer Tippett, and Cheryl VanFosson and her husband John; his grandchildren: Tyler Smith and his fiancé Charlotte, Tanner Smith, Trinity Smith, Michael Tippett, Gabriel Tippett, Jayce Tippett, Leah Goodman, and Brianna Alcorn; and his great grandchildren: Lilly Mae Smith and Daisy Kay Smith; his mother, Beverly (Horne) King; and his brother Howard G. Nipper and his wife Willa; and a host of beloved uncles, aunts, cousins, nephews, and nieces.

The family will receive friends on Friday at 1:00pm prior to the service at Montlawn Funeral Home Chapel.

Flowers are welcome or in lieu of flowers, an in-honor donation can be made online or by mail to the American Diabetes Association, 2451 Crystal Drive, Suite 900, Arlington, VA 22202; to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network at pancan.org/honormemorial-gifts/; or to the National Veterans Foundation at nvf.org/veterans-memorials-dedications/.