Obituary of Gary Pipes

Gary Pipes, jokester, owned auto parts store Gary "Rolly" Pipes loved telling jokes - both dirty and clean - and playing practical jokes on people. He'd pull the old hand-buzzer routine or scare one of his auto-parts customers with a rubber snake, said his son, Gary "Little Rolly" Pipes Jr. "He just loved to laugh," he said. "He would hear a good joke from someone and pass it down the line." Pipes, 58, of Fort Mitchell, died Friday at Christ Hospital in Cincinnati. Mr. Pipes earned his nickname, which he was most commonly referred to, when he was just two days old. He was a chunky baby and his sister's husband took one look at him and exclaimed, "Look, it's rolly polly." He even named his Fort Wright business Uncle Rolly's Auto Parts. His son said he loved to fish, camp and travel. He would take the family on trips in the family RV to Myrtle Beach, Disney World and Washington, D.C. Mr. Pipes was a member of Latonia Masonic Lodge No. 345 F& AM. In addition to his son, survivors include his wife, Freda McClure Pipes; a daughter, Shelley Pipes of Speedwell, Tenn.; brothers, Larry Pipes of Latonia, Bobby Pipes of Taylor Mill and Jim Pipes of New Port Richey, Fla.; sisters, Lois Duddey of Erlanger, Peggy Spurlock and Sharon Heuser, both of Independence, and Pam Schworer of Park Hills; and a grandson. Services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Chambers and Grubbs Funeral Home, Independence. Visitation will be from 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home. Burial will be in Independence Cemetery. Memorials are suggested to National Kidney Foundation, 250 E. Liberty St., Suite 710, Louisville, Ky. 40202.