John Sippel

John Pfeil “JP” Sippel, of Cibolo, Texas, went to be with our Lord on Tuesday, January 5, 2021, at the age of 71, after succumbing to illness. A Navy veteran, hardware store owner, dancing enthusiast, cook, motorcyclist, and HAM radio operator, John could never be accused of not living life to its fullest. Most important to John, though, he was a father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend to so many.

John was born to John A. Sippel and Grace Josephine Pfeil Sippel on November 9, 1949. John grew up in Cibolo and lived on the same street, Sippel Avenue, almost all of his life. As a young boy during the summers and school breaks, he, his parents, and two brothers would load up the homemade camper and travel the western states, going from rest stop to rest stop. John later went off to college at the University of Texas at Austin for a few years before enlisting in the Navy during Vietnam. He married Janet Ball in 1970, and they spent 23 years together before going their separate ways. With Janet, he had three children, Joan, John, and Lori, whom he loved dearly.

John spent most of his life working in or running the family business, Sippel True Value Hardware. At its peak, he ran a store in Schertz, Converse, and Universal City. He was a firm believer that the best way to understand how something worked was to take it apart and put it back together. With that attitude, there wasn’t a plumbing, electrical, or gardening problem John couldn’t fix. The outpouring of condolences and stories from people who were touched or affected in some way by their interactions with John at the store are a testimony to the love he had for his employees, customers, and community.

When he wasn’t at the hardware store, John was passionate about so many things—and he somehow managed to do them all well. He was an avid HAM radio operator and spent years assisting with the setup of emergency radio communications in the 1980s. He also loved dancing and went on to compete and later to teach lessons at Cowboy’s Dance Hall and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City Independent School District. A Traeger grillmaster, John could grill almost anything and loved whipping up dishes for his family, friends, employees, and customers.

To get away and relax, John’s happy place was his ranch at Canyon Lake. He could spend days there with family and friends or with a chainsaw and skid loader, clearing cedar trees to his heart’s content. Or, he’d load up his camping gear on his motorcycle and head out to Colorado to enjoy the mountains.

John was truly one of a kind. He had an infectious laugh and a sense of humor that never passed up an opportunity to tell a (probably inappropriate) joke or pull a prank. He’ll be greatly missed by many.

John is preceded in death by his parents and grandparents, Ewald and Lucinda Pfeil and Ernst and Anna Sippel. He is survived by his daughter, Joan Thames and her husband, Lawrence, of Universal City; son, John P. Sippel, Jr. of Canyon Lake and his fiancé, Courtney; daughter, Lori D. Daniels and her husband, Mike; his grandchildren, Mary Thames, Kai Montgomery, and Evie Daniels; brother, Lewis Borgfeld and his wife, Lolly; brother, David Sippel and his wife, Betty; former spouse, Janet Ball Valadez; and numerous nieces, nephews, family, and dear friends.

During the last few years of his life, John needed a higher level of care. The family is grateful to a number of people who went above and beyond to improve his quality of life during that time, including Amanda Blue, who worked with John as a physical therapist; the staff at The Legacy at Forest Ridge; and his niece Cheryl, her daughter Emerson, and their dog London, whom John loved seeing during their frequent visits at The Legacy.

A private family memorial service will be held at Schertz Funeral Home at 4 p.m. on Thursday, January 28, 2021. Friends may view the services online at Schertz Funeral Home website or at the following direct link https://cloud.mediafusionapp.com/mf/schertzfh_20210128.html . A celebration of John’s life with family and friends will be held at Blue Bonnet Palace – 17630 Lookout Road in Selma on Thursday, January 28, 2021 from 5:30PM – 7:30PM. Memorial Donations may be made in John’s name to the American Cancer Society.

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