Mark A. Ripa

Mark A. Ripa, 67, of St. Albans, Vermont, died peacefully on September 21, 2026, at the University of Vermont Medical Center following a long illness.
Born on March 24, 1959, in Holyoke, Massachusetts, to Barbara and Philip Ripa, Mark was raised in Amherst, Massachusetts. He later moved with his parents to Chatham at age 15 where he attended local schools. Mark became a skilled stonemason, known for crafting exquisite chimneys and hearths. After leaving Cape Cod for Massachusetts’s North Shore, he entered the telecommunications field and served as chief technician for two cable systems. Several years later, he returned to masonry and established his own business in southern New Hampshire. His craftsmanship earned him a loyal clientele and was evident in the elaborate stone walls, patios, piers, fireplaces, and hearths he created.
Mark will be remembered for his warm laugh and talent for telling jokes and stories. Although naturally quiet, he cared deeply for his friends and showed special compassion for people often overlooked by society. He also took exceptional pride in his vehicles, keeping them so immaculate that others sometimes hesitated to sit in them for fear of getting them dirty.
Mark is survived by his two children, Logan of Scarborough, Maine, and Lily of Exeter, New Hampshire; his brothers, Philip of New Sharon, Maine, Christopher of Harwich, Massachusetts, and Mathew of Brewster, Massachusetts; and his sisters, Cynthia of Fairfield, Connecticut, Nancy of Brooksville, Florida, and Regina of Orleans, Massachusetts. He was preceded in death by his parents, Barbara and Philip Ripa.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10:00 a.m. on November 6 at Holy Redeemer Parish, 57 Highland Avenue, Chatham, followed by interment at People’s Cemetery in Chatham. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the parish at holyredeemerchatham.org.
Notes of comfort may be made to Mark’s family at www.chapmanfuneral.com.