William "Bill" Stanton Sipple, age 83, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on December 25, 2022. He was born on November 16, 1939, in Runnemede, NJ and spent his youth exploring the outdoors of southern New Jersey. His love of nature continued throughout his life, spanning a successful career and creating a family bond.

Bill graduated from Audubon High School in New Jersey. He worked various jobs, including Mailman while serving in the Army Reserves.  A talented dancer, he met his wife Geraldine "Geri" (née Ruggiano) at a jam session (dance) in Margate, NJ in 1963.  They married in 1966.  He graduated from Glassboro State College in 1969 with a degree in Biology.  He then went on to get his Master's Degree in Regional Planning from University of Pennsylvania in 1971. From 1974 – 1977, he participated in the Doctoral Program for Plant Ecology at University of Maryland, completing all but his dissertation.

He moved to Maryland in 1971 to work for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in the tidal wetland regulatory program.  In 1979, Bill joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in the Wetlands Division. An expert in the field, he was widely known for his extensive knowledge of wetland ecology. His professional career also included adjunct professorship at Towson University and numerous other institutions and non-profit organizations.

Throughout his life, Bill kept extensive journals on his early days in the field exploring and later studying the Chesapeake Bay Region's wetlands. He meticulously documented his findings which culminated into authoring two books "Through the Eyes of a Young Naturalist" published in 1991 and "Days Afield: Exploring Wetlands in the Chesapeake Bay Region" published in 1999. He also authored numerous other natural history publications and technical papers, notably DNR's "An Atlas of Vascular Plant Species Distributions Maps for Tidewater Maryland" and EPA's "Federal Manual for Identifying and Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands." His "New Jersey Journal: Outdoor and Natural History Observations and Experiences" spanned 16 years and "Maryland Journal: Outdoor and Natural History Observations and Experiences" included 21 volumes, spanning over 25 years.

Bill retired from the EPA in 2003 and began his consulting firm W.S. Sipple Wetland & Environmental Training & Consulting through which he taught technical courses and performed environmental consulting throughout the East Coast.  His consulting firm was successful for many years, and he was highly sought after for his extensive knowledge of ecology.

In addition to his passion for ecology, much of his retired years were spent searching for antique bottles and artifacts, country line dancing, and spending time with his grandchildren. He acquired an extensive collection and library of natural history, antiques, and Native American artifacts. When not outdoors, you would find Bill country line dancing.  For many years he was a "regular" at Cancun Cantina where he drank water and did the two-step for hours each weekend. He loved spending time with his eldest grandchild, Britni, who he adored and enjoyed watching her compete in sports.

His love for the outdoors and knowledge of nature have left an impression on many colleagues, students, and friends but most importantly passed down to his sons and to his grandchildren. The countless hours of time spent together "in the field" searching for insects, plants, herps, fossils, and bottles will be held close and passed on as his legacy.

Bill is survived by his wife Geri, son Michael (Tracy), daughter Michele, son Sean (Melanie), granddaughters Britni and Grace, and grandsons Stanton, Lucas, and Liam, as well as many nieces and nephews.  He is preceded in death by his parents, Gordon and Beulah, and his siblings, Gordon and Lorraine.

In his most recent book "Days Afield", the dedication reads " To my wife Geri for her understanding, patient understanding, without which I could not have written this book.  And to pink lady's slippers and Virginia bluebells – may they be with us forever; may their flowers never wilt ."

May Bill be with us forever; may his spirit never wilt.

Family and friends will be contacted regarding a celebration of life that will be scheduled in 2023.