GAMBER, Md. -- A genuine nice guy, a perfectionist, compassionate.
This is how Maryland fire and rescue personnel are remembering Mickey Lippy, a flight paramedic killed late Saturday when his Maryland State Police helicopter crashed.
Until Saturday night, Lippy's life was everything he'd dreamed about. He was a Maryland State Trooper, a flight medic and he had become a father.
Trooper First Class Lippy's life was full. In addition to taking care of seriously injured patients in a helicopter, he was a part-time medic for Gamber and Community Fire Company, and a volunteer at Owings Mills Volunteer Fire Company.
He had previously worked as a medic for Anne Arundel County Fire Department.
Judy Sullivan, a paramedic in Anne Arundel, struggled to contain her emotions as she talked about her former partner. "He was unbelievable. He treated everyone with compassion and dignity."
She said Lippy remained calm during the worst of calls. "I never ever saw him have a cross moment. Stress can get you down when you're running a lot of EMS calls, but that never happened with Mickey. He had a work ethic you just don't see often."
Her former partner talked about is interest in becoming a flight medic. "That was his dream job. It's been a rough few days around here...Mickey died loving what he did..."
Lippy and his wife, Chrissy, often worked together at Gamber in Carroll County. She was an EMT, while he was the medic.
"He was the type of person people would emulate. Mickey was just a really nice person," said Bruce Bouch, a firefighter with Gamber. "He cared about everyone..."
Members are struggling to deal with the loss. They've placed black tape across the fire department shields on the vehicles.
"Madison was the focus of their lives," he said, referring to the couple's baby.
Craig Oldershaw, president of IAFF Local 1563 in Anne Arundel, said members still consider him part of their family even though he's been gone for four years.
"Mickey was a stellar individual, an impressive paramedic, a great guy."
Funeral Information
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 at the Gamber and Community Fire Company.
Funeral services will be held at the fire company at 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3. Interment will following in Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens, Timonium.
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