Obituary of Evalyn Shippee

Evalyn Z. Shippee, of Florham Park and Bay Head, passed away peacefully, May 22, 2026, surrounded by her loving family. Evalyn was raised in West Orange, NJ and graduated from WOHS. She attended Skidmore College where she graduated with distinction, earning a BS in Business with retail management. Evalyn was later awarded a prestigious alumni award from Skidmore for her years of reunion planning and service to the college.

As a young professional, Evalyn worked at Young and Rubicam advertising agency in NYC. She went on to marry Robert J. Shippee and they moved to Newport Rhode Island, where along with being a navy wife, Evalyn worked in the Copy and Special Events Department for the Providence Journal. Evalyn and Bob returned to Short Hills, NJ where they raised their 5 children and enjoyed long summers at their family beach house.

A Jersey girl from moment one, Evalyn spent her childhood summers down the shore and eventually grew roots in Deauville Beach and Bay Head. She bought the Jolly Tar gift shop in 1977, which began her almost 50 years of commitment to the community.  She was the founder of the Bay Head Business Association (1982) and founder of the Bay Head Christmas walk (1984). She formed the Recreation Committee and co-ran the Bay Head School summer programs that provided local children with arts and crafts, tennis lessons, canoeing, computers, and French class. She was honored by the local Boy Scouts for her fundraising support. She sponsored the The Bay Head Mantoloking baseball team, and along with her husband, Bob, organized and sponsored the Bay Head School's boys soccer team. Additionally, she served on the original Bay Head School Foundation committee which was started on their mission to make Bay Head School the best in the area. She founded the Bay Head Historical Society to raise awareness of the extensive history and notable architecture in the town (1990). She purchased and developed the Bay Head Museum located at the corner of Lovelandtown (1994). In 1995 she hired professional architectural historians to catalog every building in Bay Head which paved the way for Bay Head’s inclusion in both the state and federal registries (2004). She also commuted across the country to her store in Marina del Ray, California called the Posh Pourri. In 2007, Evalyn obtained her realtors license and worked with Donnelly Realtors in Bay Head. She designed 85 homes in the area with Newlin Construction, her son Bob's company. 

While Evalyn was accomplished in so many fields of interest, first and foremost, family was central to her life. Evalyn and Bob celebrated 62 years of marriage and took great pleasure in the lives of their children and grandchildren. She is survived by her five children- Bob Shippee, Jr and Amy Sollod, John and Christine Shippee, Laura (Shippee) and Bob Hart, Scott and Jennifer Shippee, Maria (Shippee) and Javier Jimenez. And her thirteen grandchildren- Jack Shippee, Matt Shippee, Cate Shippee, Emma Hart, Eva Hart, Robert Hart, Elena Hart, Andrew Shippee, Jason Shippee, Eric Shippee, Olivia Shippee, Maximo Jimenez, and Lucy Jimenez. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Bob, her parents Thomas and Mary Zoda, brother Eugene, and her loving sister Elaine.

A memorial visitation will be held at the Madison Memorial Home,159 Main Street, Madison on Sunday, June 14th 2026 from 1:00 p.m to 5:00 p.m. During which, at 4:00 p.m. a Celebration of Life service will be held at the funeral home and live streamed on the Madison Memorial Home facebook page.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in her honor to the Bay Head Historical Society, PO Box 127, Bay Head, NJ 08724, Save Barnegat Bay, 117 Haines Road Toms River, NJ 08753, or the Bay Head Police and Fire Department, 83 Bridge Avenue, Bay Head, NJ 08742