Lillie Catherine “L.C.” Van Riper went to be with our Lord Jesus Christ on September 4, 2021, after a courageous ten-year battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was born in Dillon, South Carolina on May 11, 1943, the daughter of the late Joseph Grady and Ruth (McLaurin) Alford. Her brother, James Duncan Alford, predeceased her in 1987.
L.C. was a graduate of Dillon High School and Winthrop College. She met her husband, Paul K. “Rip” Van Riper, at a New Year’s Eve party in 1966. A US Marine, Rip was immediately smitten with this Southern Belle and soon asked her to marry him, which she did at Carolina Presbyterian Church in Clio, South Carolina on January 27, 1968. True to his promise, he took her around the world while on active duty and in their years of retirement. She thrived in every location–Saint Thomas in the Virgin Islands, Egypt, Israel, Greece, Italy, France, England, Japan, Hong Kong, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and across America.
L.C. enjoyed meeting and becoming friends with people from every walk of life. She was renowned for her care and concern for all those she knew. L.C. surprised many with her ability to remember details about these friends and their families. Over the years, L.C. received numerous letters and notes of thanks for her compassion and kindness.
Rip and L.C. were blessed with a son, Stephen, and a daughter, Cynthia. Their lives were blessed again when Steve married Nissa Rae Weaver, and once more with the birth of a granddaughter, Ellis Rae. They and Rip’s twin brother, Jim and wife Connie, and many cousins and friends will miss L.C.’s smiling presence.
The family will hold a memorial service when the current pandemic subsides. In lieu of flowers, they suggest donations to the Williamsburg Community Chapel, 3899 John Tyler Highway, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Online condolences may be shared at www.nelsenwilliamsburg.com.
