Patrick Hipskind Obituary

Patrick D. Hipskind, 71, of Fort Wayne, passed away on July 26, 2024, He was the beloved husband of Janice and proud father of Casey, Scott, Gary, and Jay. Pat embraced his daughters-in-law Michelle and Fatemeh Hajizadeh as his own daughters. He adored his seven grandchildren Emma, Grace, Lily, Ava, Anna, Howard, and Roya Hipskind, whom he said "softened his heart." He told them all, "you are my favorite." Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana on November 20th, 1952, Pat was the third of nine children born into the family lead by David and Georganna Hipskind. He attended Saint Jude grade school and later Bishop Dwenger High School. During this time he enjoyed growing up with his siblings Dennis, Mary, Ann, Julie, Robert, Stephen, Sarah, Martha in the Forest Park neighborhood. In high school he attained local notoriety on the high school basketball stage. After his graduation in 1971, he traveled with his friends across the country and was left with his motorcycle in Scottsbluff, Nebraska to attend Western Nebraska Junior College where he played college basketball. Soon after arriving in Nebraska he met his future wife, a shy Nebraska farm girl wearing pig tails, a plaid shirt, blue jeans, and work boots nicknamed "Cutes." Wherever Pat was, he established a network of friends. Jan and these Nebraska friends supported him after the news of the death of his sister Ann in 1973. After leaving Nebraska, Pat spent a brief period playing college basketball in New Orleans before returning to Fort Wayne to work for Hipskind Asphalt. Pat and Jan were married in 1977 and during the following winter, proceeds made through snow removal following the blizzard of 1978, allowed Pat to establish Hipskind Concrete and begin his career in concrete construction. Pat and Jan were blessed with four sons between 1980 and 1988. In the early 1990s he became fascinated with gold mining and in 1992 founded Kodiak Gold and started mining in the Indian River Valley in the Yukon Territory of Canada. It was a daunting task. The next four years his family shared the adventure, traveling back and forth for the summer. Mechanical failures along with low gold prices forced Pat to abandon this endeavor in 1996. He returned to Fort Wayne and recommitted himself to the success of Hipskind Concrete. As his sons aged, each one joined the Hipskind Concrete workforce and acquired their father's work ethic. Upon his retirement, Hipskind Concrete was purchased by Casey, Gary, and Jay. He took pride in watching his sons initiative as they further developed the company. Even during challenging years, he ensured the well-being of his employees. Pat believed in the value of a handshake. Pat was always ready for a competitive game. Any game. He liked to show off his trick frisbee tosses, slalom ski spray, brag about his Bobcat skills and win at Euchre. For several years Pat organized what he liked to think was the largest and first NCAA men's basketball tournament pool. Pat enjoyed family vacations, golfing with his sons and many friends, occasional trips to the casino to show off his skills at the roulette table, picking up dinner tabs for friends or strangers, giving ridiculously large tips, loud fireworks, a good cigar, and whiskey on the rocks in a red solo cup. In more recent years, Pat became more sensitive, more agreeable, and very generous. He concentrated on strengthening his bonds with his sons, further embracing Michelle and Fatemeh, being silly with his grandkids, and reconnecting with as many friends as possible. Pat filled the moments of his life with abundance-full throttle. He grabbed the threads of his existence and morphed them into an unbelievable experience. Always ready for the next ride. Whatever his next ride is, Pat will be organizing the next game and pushing boundaries. Pat was preceded in death by his father David Hipskind, mother Georganna Hipskind, brother Dennis Hipskind, and sisters Mary Powers, Ann Hipskind, and Jules Helka. Visitation will be held 4:00pm to 8:00pm Thursday, August 8, 2024, at Divine Mercy Funeral Home, 3500 Lake Avenue, Fort Wayne, IN 46805. A funeral mass will take place at 11:00 am Friday, August 9, 2024, at Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 10700 Aboite Rd., Fort Wayne, IN. Pat was a benevolent man, who felt strongly about caring for the least among us. He made annual contributions to the local charities listed below. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Ave Marie House, St. Mary's Soup Kitchen, Miss Virginia's Mission House and Food Pantry, or Matthew 25 in Pat's honor. Online condolence may be made at www.divinemercyfuneralhome.com