Brenda Marie Tipton

Brenda Marie (Harris) Tipton, 80, passed away in Marietta, Georgia on Friday, January 10, 2025. She had been staying with her children while she valiantly fought her declining health. In the end, Brenda was with family as she crossed over to greet her Lord and the loved ones she dearly missed including her husband Mel, and her sisters Janet and BruceAnn. Brenda lived in Seattle, Washington for 50 years. Friends and neighbors will miss her loyal friendship and fun loving spirit. Never shy to voice her opinion, all will forever remember her passion for all things politics, the British Royal Family and Winston Churchill. Born in North Carolina to Bruce and Ruth Harris, Brenda grew up in Tucson, Arizona wanting to become Brenda Starr reporter. After college she moved to San Francisco, California where she eventually met Melvin Wesley Tipton (1929-2015). Mel took the Arizona girl to Anchorage, Alaska, where they married in 1964. Over the 10 years they called Anchorage home, Mel built a land development business and they had three children. She was also a stepmother to two. Back then, long distance calls were expensive. While in Alaska, Brenda regularly corresponded with more than 15 people in the lower 48, regaling them with her snow adventures and charitable activities including the Anchorage Jr. League and her work as a docent at the Anchorage History museum. After leaving Alaska in the late 70s, the Tiptons settled in Seattle. After the kids were grown, Brenda worked with a friend to publish an art gallery guide called “Art Guide NW.” Ultimately buying her friend out, she ran her business for 25 years and counted every major art gallery in Washington state among her advertisers. In retirement, she and Mel added a winter home in Rancho Mirage, California. They also traveled, including their all-time favorite trip to research family roots in “Tipton” England, where they were treated like celebrities in the town pub. Brenda was a voracious reader, filling her home with books and taking her children to the bookstore with instructions to select as many books as they could carry. She was also an early tech adopter and bought the family’s first computer around 1980. In addition to her favorite podcasts, she posted regularly to various online forums. Brenda and Mel loved their Golden Retrievers. Over the years they had Duke, Princess, Duke II, Maxie and Suzie. After Mel passed in 2015, Brenda stayed primarily in Seattle, where she was very active on her condo HOA’s Board of Directors. Brenda is survived by four children: Whitney (Dan Ahearn) Tipton, Stacey (Rob) Reiman, Mel (Sherry) Tipton Jr, and Mark (Diana) Tipton, as well as four grandchildren. A celebration of life is being planned for Seattle for a later date.

Brenda Marie Tipton

October 4, 1944 - January 10, 2025