Frank "Tom" Whipp

Frank Thomas “Tom” Whipp, 81, of Springvale Township, died on May 14, 2026, at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital with his wife and daughter at his bedside.

Tom was born on August 1, 1944, in Dayton, Ohio, to Frank Raymond and Mary Alice (McCoy) Whipp. Tom was raised in Kettering, Ohio, and graduated from Fairmont High School in 1962.

From an early age, Tom knew he wanted to become a firefighter. He fulfilled that dream when he graduated from the City of Dayton Fire Training Center and became a certified firefighter for the Dayton Fire Department until his retirement as a Fire Captain in 1994. He was a member of the International Association of Firefighters, Dayton Firefighters Local 136 and had many cherished stories of fire calls and made lifetime friendships during his 26-year career with the Dayton Fire Department. Tom would never speak of his accomplishments himself, but his family is incredibly proud of his fire service and legacy which includes numerous commendations and awards for his dedicated service to the City of Dayton and Greater Miami Valley Area. In 1988, Tom was named Firefighter of the Year by the Montgomery County Fire Chiefs Association for his outstanding service to the Regional Hazardous Materials Unit and Montgomery County Firefighter of the Year by the Box 21 Rescue Squad. As an original officer of the Dayton Area Regional Hazardous Materials Response Team, Tom led and participated in numerous regional HazMat training sessions and attended intensive HazMat training classes at the National Fire Academy in Emmetsburg, Maryland, and the Transportation Test Center in Pueblo, CO. In the fall of 1994, Tom was inducted into the Hall of Fame at the Ohio Fire Academy in Reynoldsburg, OH and received a Distinguished Fire Service Award from the State of Ohio based upon the 12 years for the role he played in organizing and operating the Dayton HazMat Team which included maintaining strong working relationships with several state agencies, his professional development of those under his command, and his personal support for fellow firefighters in times of need.    

While working with the Dayton Fire Department, Tom met a young Dayton Police Officer, Elaine Broering, who eventually became his wife. They were married on December 14, 1979.

Following his retirement, Tom and his family moved north to the Petoskey area because he longed for a slower pace of life than he had known in Ohio. Fishing and deer hunting were a large part of that decision. Soon after arriving, he was recruited to serve on the Springvale Township Board and went on to serve as Springvale Township Supervisor for 16 years. During that time, he worked alongside former Springvale Township Fire Chief, Bob Stark, to design and build the new Springvale Township Fire Hall. In 2006, Tom received an Appreciation Award from the Springvale Township Fire Department in recognition of his many years of support, time, and efforts toward the betterment of their department. Tom considered it an honor to serve his community and at citizen request set up numerous assessment districts to fund private sewer systems and road pavement projects. Tom felt it was his job as Supervisor to be a good steward of taxpayer dollars, support projects that benefited the township, and be accountable for money spent and decisions made.

He had a big heart and a humble spirit. Tom was a protective and devoted husband to Elaine, a wonderfully supportive father, and a doting grandfather. He loved attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, dance recitals, and school pick-ups. His morning ritual involved his daily phone call with his granddaughters so he could tell them he loved them and wish them well on their way to school. Tom enjoyed watching sporting events and was a fan of the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions and loved spending Sundays watching football.

Tom was loved and will be deeply missed by his wife of 46 years, Elaine Whipp; children, James (Cheryl) Whipp of Springfield, Ohio, Andrew Whipp of Lewisburg, Tennessee, and Lee Anne (Gail) Scharffe of Cheboygan, MI; Grandchildren, Tyler Whipp, Ashley Ault, Alissa Andrews, Camille (Whipp) Salazar, Nashville Whipp, Richland Whipp, Ariana (AJ) Bischer, Madison Whipp, Ava Belford, Autumn Scharffe, and Amelia Scharffe; numerous great grandchildren; sister Vickie Whipp of Dayton, Ohio; and his beloved dog, Lucy Bea. Tom is preceded in death by his parents, Frank Raymond and Mary Alice (McCoy) Whipp; and his son, Matthew Alan Whipp.

A memorial service will be held at Stone Funeral Home (2098 E. Mitchell Rd., Petoskey) on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 11:00 a.m., with visitation beginning one hour before the service. Rev. David Behling will officiate. Burial will follow at Joy Valley Cemetery, where Tom will be laid to rest beside his son, Matt.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Tom’s memory to a foundation that Tom supported prior to his death, Tunnel to Towers Foundation (t2t.org/donate) because of their work supporting American heroes post 9/11.