Jay D. Kipfer, age 88, of Bluffton, passed away on Friday afternoon, June 18, 2021, at Christian Care Retirement Community.

Jay was born in Bluffton on May 12, 1933, to Herman W. and Gladys M. (Mayer) Kipfer. He married Dorothy L. "Dot" Baumgartner in Bluffton on Dec. 2, 1956, she preceded him in death on Oct. 22, 2014.

A 1951 graduate of Bluffton High School, Jay was the Valedictorian of his class.  He was a U.S. Army veteran, serving from 1952 to 1954 during the Korean War, stationed in Germany. Upon his return, he attended and graduated from International Business College, while living in Ft. Wayne. He was the Controller at National Oil and Gas for 55 years retiring in 2010. He was a member of the Apostolic Christian Church where he served as song leader for many years.  Jay was also an avid stamp and coin collector and loved to travel. He had a special fondness for Switzerland and would travel to Europe and Mexico many times during his lifetime.

During his retirement years, Jay continued to enjoy traveling, playing dominos, and visiting with family and friends. He remained an active member of The Old Fort Coin Club and a life-long Brooklyn/LA Dodgers fan. He authentically enjoyed meeting people and making people feel at home with casual conversation, humor, and political insight. Jay will be remembered as an unabashedly generous, thoughtful man who loved his family and friends.

Survivors include two daughters, Gloria (Franchon) Smithson of Westport, CT, and Sheryl (Mark Longenberger) Mayne of Bluffton; one son, Kurt (Ingrid) Kipfer of Carmel, IN; five grandchildren, Kellen Smithson, Kait Smithson (Anastasiya Turyna), Chris Mayne, Heather (Trent) Skaggs and Rori Kipfer; and four great grandchildren, Isabelle Stout, Croy Stout, Hudson Skaggs and Nora Skaggs. He is also survived by a brother, Ned (Dixie) Kipfer of Bluffton; two sisters, Karyl (Elim) Smith of Warsaw, IN. and Nondes Costello of St. Ann, Missouri; a sister-in-law, Karen Kipfer of  Lima, OH.

In addition to his parents, Jay was preceded in death by two brothers, Tom and William "Bill" Kipfer; a son-in-law, Mike Mayne; a brother-in-law, Frank Costello.

Visitation will be on Wednesday, June 23, 2021, from 3:00 until 8:00 P.M. at Goodwin – Cale & Harnish Memorial Chapel in Bluffton. Services will be on Thursday, June 24, at 10:00 A.M., at the Bluffton North Apostolic Christian Church, with visitation one hour prior to the service at the church. Ron Kipfer and Preston Kaehr will officiate the service. Burial will follow at the Apostolic Christian Cemetery in Adams County.

Memorial contributions may be made to either Christian Care Retirement Community or Visiting Nurse and Hospice.