On February 24, 2021 at 11:05 pm Mr. James Fripp Sr, age 96, passed away peacefully at the Hamden Health Care Center.

James was born on November 7,1924 in Columbia South Carolina to Ezekiel and Daisy Fripp.  At the age of 19 James met and married Elizabeth Gladen. To this union three children were born, James Jr, Doris, and Vivian.

The first years of their marriage they lived in Columbia SC, later moving to New Haven, CT.  They moved in with Elizabeth's Aunt Lottie and Uncle Alex Smith in a small four room apartment on Day St.

The couple worked jobs available to them and that they could walk to or take the bus.  While Elizabeth worked at a nursing home and as a domestic, James worked at Winchester Repeating Arms and later at the Bradley Coat Company as well as other small jobs.

Despite the challenges, the young family persevered.  The family moved to Webster St and then to Brookside where they lived for 19 years.  James and Elizabeth began to develop their styles.  Elizabeth was known for her gardening and being a nurturer.  James, although an undereducated man was not an unskilled man.  He would try to tackle any job and could take apart and put anything back together.   He would repair and repaint bicycles and give them to friends and families in the community.  He became known as "Mr. Fix It".

James taught himself how to tailor, not sew, to tailor.  It began with life sized doll coats for his two daughters' walking dolls.  Being the same size as the girls, he shifted to making clothes for them and later his wife and others. He was a modification master always looking for ways to make clothing or anything more functional or outright salvageable.  He became well respected for his tailoring and clothing alterations which he did for 60 years.

He loved people, enjoyed living and doing.  He filled his life with music.  He enjoyed 50's Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, and early Gospel groups.

James loved his family and cared for his family often overachieving for their benefit.  He was extremely proud of their every achievement.

James surveyed his life and realizing something was missing he accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.  He often shared the joy of his salvation with his daughter, Son in law, and members of Bethel Agape Shalom Ministries, where his daughter is pastor.  Now in his autumn season James didn't have to fix his life, it was done.  The music changed and his focus was different because now his destination was clear.

James was predeceased by his wife Elizabeth, and daughter Doris, Father Ezekiel, Mother Daisy, and brothers Edward, John, and Melvin Fripp.  He is survived by son James Jr (Linda) and daughter Vivian Fripp-Elbert (Charles) of Hamden, Granddaughters, Dana Elizabeth Fripp and Jessica Nicole Fripp, New Haven, and Grandsons Mark Alexander Fripp of Hamden and Jason Christopher Fripp (Teresa), of North Haven, and Chaz (Shauna) of New Haven; 12 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren, and many friends.

A Celebration of Mr. Fripp's life will be held on Saturday March 6, 2021 at Hamden Memorial Funeral Home, 1300 Dixwell Avenue at 9am. Viewing will be in the funeral home from 8-9am. Burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery. Condolences may be expressed at hamdenmemorialfuneralhome.com