Gregory James Lippe passed away on June 16, 2025, at his farm in Hillsboro, Wisconsin.
Born on April 26, 1952, in Dubuque, Iowa, Greg was the son of Cletus and Delora Lippe. He was the youngest of four children, preceded in birth by his sisters Margo Lippe Schmitt and Faye Lippe Montonaga, and his brother George Lippe. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister Margo, and his brother George. His sister Faye resides in Temecula, California.

Greg attended Sacred Heart Parish School and later Wahlert High School. After graduating in 1970, he moved to Mission Viejo, California, to attend college. In July 1972, he married his high school sweetheart, Margaret (Peggy) Ellen Linden. Later that same month, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and served most of his two-year term at the Department of Defense Computer Institute in Washington, D.C.

Following his military service, Greg and Peggy returned to the Midwest to attend the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls. Greg earned a BA in Accounting, passed the CPA exam, and completed his MBA in 1976.

In 1977, Greg began his professional career at Arthur Andersen before transitioning into the healthcare industry, where he held leadership roles in finance and business development and eventually served as CEO of a healthcare start-up.

At the age of 50 after a successful 25-year corporate career, Greg fulfilled a personal promise by making a meaningful career shift to education. He earned a master’s degree in education and spent eight years teaching business courses at Whitefish Bay High School, a suburb of Milwaukee. Beyond his classroom instruction, Greg enjoyed mentoring students through business club activities and mock trial competitions. He officially retired in 2018.

In retirement, Greg and Peggy moved to a 29-acre farm in the Driftless region of southwestern Wisconsin. They took great pride in improving the land and deeply appreciated the friendship of their neighbors. Beyond the farm, Greg and Peggy traveled extensively in Europe, walking historic routes in Spain, Scotland, Ireland, and England.

Greg found joy in life’s simple pleasures—sipping a brandy old-fashioned, watching a Brewers game, or finding the last piece of a puzzle, always surrounded by family.
Greg loved bringing his family together to “make new memories.” One of his fondest was a vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, where he and Peggy celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. When the trip was over, he was quick to create a photo album to preserve the moment.

Above all else, Greg and Peggy centered their lives around their family. They raised seven children: sons Gareth Lippe (Milwaukee), Eliot Lippe, Zachary Lippe, and Taylor Lippe (Brookfield); and daughters Meredith (Lippe) Creegan and Claire Lippe (both of Wauwatosa). Their eldest daughter, Hannah Lippe, resides in McKinleyville, California.

Greg often said he and Peggy raised seven “pretty good” children—and he was immensely proud and supportive of each of them. He cherished his role as “Poppa” to his twelve grandchildren, often roughhousing and joking with the youngest among them. When Poppa was in a room with his grandkids, there was always running and yelling and laughter.

Greg will be remembered for his steadfast love, support, and humor—gifts he shared freely with family, friends, and colleagues. He lived by his father’s quiet example of how to live—and die—with grace. As he often said, with sincerity and hope: “Good things lie ahead.”

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, July 12, at Sacred Heart Church in Dubuque, Iowa, and will include a visitation from 9:00 to 10:45 a.m., a traditional Mass at 11:00 a.m., and a luncheon to follow. Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory, Dubuque, IA is assisting the family.

The family will also host a celebration of Greg’s life on Saturday, August 23, 2025, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at O’Donoghue’s Irish Pub in Elm Grove, Wisconsin.

They invite you to honor Greg’s memory by donating to a charity of your choice, volunteering in your community, or simply spending time with those you love.