Irma Sue (Benjamin) Lipscomb

Irma Sue Lipscomb (Benjamin), 94, passed away January 20th in Bel Air, Maryland. She was the wife of the late Roy Odie Lipscomb, to whom she was married for 65 years until his death in July 2015.

Born in Cecil County, Maryland to the late Ernest Benjamin and Edna Linton Benjamin.  She lived in Port Deposit, Maryland for her childhood, graduating from the Jacob Tome Institute in 1946. After graduation she moved to Takoma Park, Maryland to attend the Washington Missionary College nursing school and graduated from their nursing program in 1950.  She also met her future husband, Odie, in 1950 as he was working on an addition to Washington Sanitarium and Hospital in Takoma Park.

Irma took a hiatus from working at the hospital while her children were young and then returned to the hospital to work part time. Later as her children grew, she returned to full time work at what is now called the Washington Adventist Hospital.  She worked as a medical floor nurse, evening unit supervisor, head nurse on a medical floor and then worked in the Radiation and Oncology Unit from which she retired.

She lived in Laurel, Maryland raising her family from 1959 to 1990 at which time she and her husband moved to their custom-built retirement home in New Market, Virginia.  She enjoyed her life in the Shenandoah Valley until her husband passed away in 2015 and she needed to downsize.  She moved to an apartment in Abingdon, Maryland close to her daughter and her family. She lived there independently until a few months before her passing.

Irma was very artistic and talented. She was very good at cartooning and did beautiful counted cross stich work. She loved decorating her home and always had a lovely home.  She loved Christmas and collecting Christmas decorations. She loved buying gifts for her family to include all her grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Irma is survived by her daughter, Karen West (Tony) of Bel Air, MD; son, Kevin Lipscomb (Mitzi) of Timberville, VA; 12 grandchildren, Scott West (Lydia), Stacy West Bopst (Jeremy), Kevin J. Lipscomb, Jr., Tara West Gemmill (Michael), Andrew Lipscomb (Joy), Laura Lipscomb See, Ashley West Kessell (Phillip), Jessica Lipscomb Schmidt (Jared), Jennifer Lipscomb Huntley (Steve), Stephanie Lipscomb, Christopher Lipscomb, Benjamin Lipscomb; 12 great grandchildren; sister, Mona Benjamin Lackman; many cousins, nieces, nephews; and special close friend, Pastor Paul Schooley of Modesto, California.

Irma was predeceased by her parents, her husband and her youngest son, Keith Odie.

Funeral services are scheduled for Friday, January 27, 2023, 2 PM, at the Lee A. Patterson & Son Funeral Home, P.A., of Perryville, MD. Visitation for family and friends will be held Friday, January 27, 2023, 1 PM until 2 PM, at the funeral home prior to the funeral service. Interment will be in the Hopewell United Methodist Church Cemetery, Port Deposit, MD.   

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