Retired IBM Engineer James Lipman Passes Away at 84

James Ralph Lipman, an 84-year-old Sonoma County resident from Rio Nido, CA, passed away on January 28, 2023. Born in San Francisco on November 20, 1938, he grew up in the Sunset district and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1956.

Lipman joined the U.S. Navy in 1957 and spent many years on the USS Aspro SS-309, specializing in the submarine's electronic technology. After leaving the military, he worked as a computer engineer for IBM for over 35 years.

After retiring from IBM, Lipman became a freelance electrician on the Russian River, working for over 20 years. He was also a skilled carpenter and enjoyed building custom homes and sailboats, including a 27' Thunderbird sailboat.