Ronald Kipp Bates

Ronald "Kipp" Bates, 66, passed into his next great adventure early in the morning of September 14, 2023.

Kipp was born December 5, 1956 in Salt Lake City, Utah to Gordon Ronald Bates and Deanna Lee Hill. Growing up he lived in many different places in Utah and California, and had many friends throughout his life. Kipp graduated from East High School in 1975. He loved music and attended many iconic concerts including a Beatles concert when he was 9 years old and the Rolling Stone concert at Altamont Speedway when he was 13. He also loved to ski and hike with his friends. Kipp was talented with working with his hands from picking out a tune on the guitar, to drawing, to working with leather, he had an artistic touch. In 1978 he joined a friend in Laguna Beach, California and made leather shoes and sandals at the annual Sawdust Festival. Kipp returned to Salt Lake and in 1982 married Jana Middlebrook (later divorced) and their little girl Britt Patricia was born on December 13th that same year.

In 1985 Kipp met his forever friend and soulmate, Alicon Faye Dodd and they were married on June 6, 1986 at the Garden Park Ward in the upper east bench of Salt Lake City. Kipp found that as an artist he enjoyed being a cosmetologist and opened his own salon called AHHS in the University district. Kipp and Alicon moved to Seattle, WA in 1989 and then moved to Clinton on Whidbey Island, WA after their Son Christopher Alan was born in August 1994. Kipp changed careers while in Seattle and used his talented hands to fix copiers but also did barbering in between. He ran a barber shop called Kipp & Co in Clinton for 5 of the 19 years he lived there. After a 20 year struggle with Multiple Sclerosis, Kipp took disability retirement in 2013 and moved to Washington, Utah.

Kipp is survived by his wife, Alicon Faye Dodd; daughter, Britt Elizondo, (husband Rene and daughter Elin) of Agoura Hills, CA; son, Christopher (wife Megan) of Everett, WA; father, Gordon "Ginny" Bates and step-mother, Roselyn of Gilbert, AZ; mother, Deanna Boden and step-father, Richard of Lake Havasu City, AZ; sister, Ambre Lane of Seattle, WA; brother, Ayron Boden (wife April) of Thousand Oaks, CA; sister, Kris Kunz (husband Ben) of St. George, UT; and sister, Steffnie Beck (husband Ron) of Fountain Hills, AZ. Kipp was preceded in death by his sister, Kamala Boden, brother, Erick Boden, grandparents, Gordon and Margaret Bates; and grandparents, Duane and Ellen Larsen.

A private family celebration of Kipp’s life is to be held at a later date.