JAMES N. “TIP” TIPTON, 61

EAST LIVERPOOL – East Liverpool native James Nelson “Jim” Tipton, 61, passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family and friends, at 6:03 p.m. Saturday evening, February 14, 2015 at Heritage Valley in Beaver, PA.

A son of Helen Christy Tipton of East Liverpool and the late C.B. Tipton, he was born on December 20, 1953 in East Liverpool and had been raised in this area. He was a 1972 graduate of East Liverpool High School, where he was well-known for his athletic skills, especially baseball and basketball.

Although Jim had been ill for quite some time, his love of people was never diminished, and he never knew a stranger. He had been a longtime music enthusiast, having been associated with several local bands through the years. Until his illness, he had worked construction jobs around the country and had also worked at Crucible Steel in his younger days.

Surviving him, in addition to his mother, are two sisters: Deborah Martin-Pollock of Unicoi, TN, and Christine Tipton and her husband, Sam Pinkerton, of Erwin, TN, as well as a special niece, Kelly Davis and her husband, Ken, of Great Falls, VA, and a great-niece, Klara Cate Davis. Jim also leaves behind friends who were like brothers: Randy Barnard, Eddie Hunt, and his former brother-in-law, Chuck Harris.

Friends may visit with Jim’s family at the Dawson Funeral Home from 5 to 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Services will be held at the funeral home at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, with Pastor Larry Rose of Northside Church, where Jim attended. Following the service, family and friends will gather at the Fellowship Hall at the church for lunch and a continued time of remembrance.