Obituary of Stephen Cripps
Stephen Douglas Cripps, UE, MEd, BEd, BA, passed away peacefully at the Shannex Cohen Hall, Saint John, NB on the evening of July 4th, 2026. If there are curtains in Heaven we can be sure they have been inspected and are now to Stephen's satisfaction.
Born May 13th, 1952 to the late Murray “Tim” and Catherine (Piers) Cripps, he was one of eight children. He is predeceased by his brothers, Trevor, Harold “Hal”and his wife Brenda, Richard, and David.
Stephen grew up in Norton, NB, enjoyed studying and living in England and Nova Scotia, but spent most of his adult life on the Kingston Peninsula with his family. He loved horses and kept them for many years, teaching both his daughters to ride at young ages. He was a teacher at heart and worked with visually impaired students through APSEA. His passion for teaching lead him to the pulpit as a lay pastor for many years who loved breaking down the original Greek and Hebrew in his sermons.
His love of history and genealogy made him well-suited for his role as President of the Kings County Historical Society in the 1990s, later his home became regular stop on historical garden tours in the area. Stephen and Debra have always been avid readers and were active members of the Eclectic Reading Club together in Saint John for several years.
Stephen is survived by his wife Debra (Gray) Cripps; his two daughters: Laura Smith with her husband Garvin, Pamela Vivier with her husband Stefan; as well as two grandsons: Jüri Vivier and Corwin Smith. He is also survived by his brother Roy; sisters: Janet Gray with her husband Joe, Judy Lavigne with her husband Brian; along with several nieces, nephews and cousins. He is also survived by dear friends Wayne Woodward and Gregory Homer.
His family would like to give their heartfelt thanks to the wonderful staff at Cohen Hall for their excellent care and kindness during Stephen's time there.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the compassionate care of Wallace Funeral Home, 34 Sunnyside Drive, Sussex, NB (506-433-1176) from where a visitation will be held on Thursday, July 9, 2026 from noon to 2pm, with Funeral Service starting at 2:00pm.
Donations in memory of Stephen may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society, CNIB or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Personal condolences to the family and donations may be made through WallaceFuneralHome.com.
