Bernard “Bernie” Jerome Lippman of Ledyard, 79, passed away on July 20, 2026 after a very active, authentic life and a brief stay at Connecticut Hospice after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer. Bernie was born on January 20, 1947 in Brooklyn, NY, to parents Suzette (Nissan) Lippman, an Iraqi immigrant, and Albert Lippman, who was born and raised in New York.
Growing up in Brooklyn, Bernie got his start playing “ball”: first stickball and stoop ball in the Williamsburg streets, then basketball all over the city. He skipped eighth grade and went to one of the most prestigious high schools in New York City, Stuyvesant, which turned out to be one of his biggest regrets because it was boys-only, and he had already realized that he much preferred women to men. He survived, graduating in 1963, and went on to Brooklyn College and the City College of New York, during which time, in addition to his academic pursuits, he discovered Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, hitchhiked through the U.S. and Europe, began accumulating the many stories he would tell and retell throughout his life, and continued playing lots of basketball. He graduated from CCNY in 1969, and later that year, met Mary Marsh at a Halloween party in New Haven. They lived in Manhattan together with their cats before moving to Ledyard, Mary’s hometown, and getting married in 1974. They spent 53 years together and raised two daughters, Molly and Margo, with unconditional love and support.
Bernie was an active parent, teaching his children to fish in the local ponds, taking them to the library, the duck pond, the beach, the Mystic Aquarium, the Peabody Museum, and as they got older, wherever they and their friends wanted to go. He listened to his daughters, encouraged their interests, and trusted and empowered them to make their own decisions. Once their daughters left home, Bernie and Mary were back to living with each other and their cats, which were a constant in their home. Bernie had a special affection for Midnight, who lived to be 22, as well as for Stevie and for Runty, his last cat who predeceased him by a year. Midnight’s backyard funeral was the only time Bernie’s children saw him cry. Bernie and Mary enjoyed going to the movies in Mystic and Madison, and Bernie tolerated long visits to Mary’s beloved quilt shops all over New England. When Mary was diagnosed with a cluster of autoimmune diseases and became progressively weaker, Bernie lovingly cared for her and respected her autonomy until the end. He spent three and a half years living on his own until the last two weeks of his life, which were spent experiencing incredible care and a beautiful view of Long Island Sound at Connecticut Hospice in Branford.
Bernie’s first few jobs as a teenager and young man were at Wollman Rink in Central Park, at a tennis shop in Long Island, and as a counselor at summer camps in the Berkshires and Catskills. After getting married and moving to Connecticut, he began his long career in management: in the 80s he ran Mystic McDonalds, then opened several additional McDonalds around southeastern Connecticut and Rhode Island. He then went on to do similar work with Taco Bell, opening the Groton location among others. Later he managed Labor Ready, opening locations in New London and Norwich. Throughout the years, many people worked for and with him, and the relationships he built and cooperation he inspired among his teams were just as important to him as achieving great “numbers”--which he also did. After retiring, Bernie worked part-time at Lebanon Pines, an alcohol and drug rehabilitation facility, where he emphasized the importance of treating the clients like human beings. You could say that his life’s work was about people, and the result was that everywhere he went, he knew somebody.
Throughout his working years and beyond, Bernie continued to play “ball” 3 to 5 days a week. He spent years playing basketball at the Norwich YMCA before injuries eventually forced him to switch to racquetball, which he played at the Y, the Mystic Community Center, and the Racquet Club in Waterford and its later iterations. He played and placed in local, state, and national tournaments, including numerous trips to the National Senior Games held in various states around the country. In recent years, he had transitioned to playing pickleball, though he still maintained close relationships with his racquetball buddies and looked forward to their monthly “geezer breakfasts.” His pickleball friends, though among his newest friends, became his pickleball “family.” They quickly got used to his yelling and joking on the court, expanded his horizons when they introduced him to cribbage at Thrive 55 and writing groups at the Mystic & Noank Library, and showed up for Bernie when he was ill. Bernie played his last pickleball game just a few weeks before his final and rapid decline. It’s almost as though once he couldn’t play ball anymore, he was done. Likewise, he was mowing the lawn, burning sticks in his fire pit (always dutifully calling Ledyard Fire Dispatch for permission first), and tending to his bountiful garden until he physically could no longer do so. He enjoyed waking up before sunrise, going to get a cup of coffee from the Ledyard store or Dunkin’, and listening to the birds wake up and begin singing.
Beyond sports or business or yardwork, Bernie loved and took the most pride in his family and friends, who already miss him like crazy: daughters Margo Lippman of Brooklyn and Molly (Jerry) Richardson of Chicago; sister-in-law Maureen Marsh of Lebanon; and nieces Katelyn Norman (Lee Gushurst) of Lebanon, Laura Norman of Newport, Rhode Island, Colleen LaBranche (William) Smith of North Stonington and Charlotte LaBranche of East Lyme; and his many devoted friends, some of them going back to childhood. Bernie was predeceased by his wife of nearly 50 years and partner of 53, Mary Marsh Lippman; his brother, Steven Lippman; and his parents, Suzette (Nissan) Lippman and Albert Lippman.
Please join Bernie’s family in celebrating his life, telling some stories, and honoring his memory at Ledyard Congregational Church on Saturday, August 15, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. There will be time in the service set aside for friends and loved ones to share stories and memories; guests are encouraged to prepare a brief remembrance–funny and colorful stories are welcome, just as Bernie would like! The service will also be available on Zoom; contact Molly for the link.
In lieu of cut flowers, please consider a living, shade-loving perennial; the family will then plant these as part of the private burial at the Ledyard Center Cemetery.
If you feel moved to do so, please consider donating in remembrance of Bernie to an organization that speaks to his life and character. Here are a few suggestions:
Steady Buckets, which provides free basketball and leadership training to NYC youth (steadybuckets.org)
My Grandfather’s Cat, which assists seniors and terminally ill people to arrange second forever homes for their beloved cats (mygrandfatherscat.ca) – or if you are in a position to do so, adopt a senior cat from your local shelter (“Bernie” would be a cute cat name…)!
Ledyard Food Pantry, which provides local food assistance for neighbors in need (ledyardcongregational.org/food-pantry/)
American Civil Liberties Union, which fights in courts nationwide to protect the rights of all people in the U.S. (aclu.org)
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