Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Kip spent his youth in the northeast suburbs of that city. He graduated from Kirtland High School in 1960 and went on to get his undergraduate and master’s degrees in physical education at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He later obtained his Ph.D. in Psycho Motor Research from The Ohio State University. Both schools would remain very near and dear to his heart for the entirety of his life. He would often say that his favorite class while at Miami was a Football class—taught by the one and only Bo Schembechler. He remained an avid and loyal fan of the Buckeyes and the Miami Redskins/RedHawks for the entirety of his life.
He was a professor of Physical Education at Wright State University, and from there was hired as the executive director of the United States Volleyball Association at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. In that position he traveled the world to be with the men’s teams as they competed globally including to the Olympics multiple times. His last professional posting was as professor of sports management at Alfred State University in Alfred, N.Y. There he influenced the lives of many young men and women as he taught them how to earn a living from being involved in sports. He retired to Michigan to be close to his son and the rest of his family.
He is survived by people who he loved and loved him back: Matthew & Amanda McPeak, son and daughter-in-law; Tommy McPeak & Aliyah Mercado, grandson & grand-daughter, all of Rochester, Mich.; Jean (McPeak) Pizzi and Richard Pizzi, sister and brother-in-law, of Bloomfield Twp., Mich.; and Judy McPeak & Doug Cannato, sister and brother-in-law, of Charlottesville, Va.
He loved all sports from youth to high school to college to professional. He would go in person when he could and watch on TV otherwise. He loved playing cards and was an excellent Euchre player. Beyond that, he loved spending time with his son and the rest of his family, going up north on family vacations, going out to dine at restaurants with great seafood or steaks, and he loved to read adventures.
His last year and a half were spent at WellBridge of Rochester Hills, and they wonderfully assisted him with day-to-day care. He continued to love his family and his sports from there and participated in various family bowl pools and March Madness pools as they occurred. Ever the competitor, he won some pools and not others but always actively participated and insisted his bowl selections or basketball brackets would end up being “the key” and that he would win!
He has friends from all over the country with whom he built relationships and tried to maintain contact. They were all important to him. He would often speak of them with a smile on his face as he remembered their shared history.
Kip was a man of family, of strong convictions, and a teacher at heart. He was a man with a ready grin and a twinkle in his eye. He will be much missed by all.
Note: Those wishing to make contributions in his name are asked to consider Go4Graham, www.go4graham.org, an organization he became aware of while living in Colorado. It’s mission is to shred the stigma of mental health issues – focused on physical fitness and activity. Also please consider donations to a Little League organization in your area.
