The Tribute Page for Rebecca Lipkin

Rebecca Lipkin, beloved daughter of Gladys and the late Nat Lipkin, sister of Harriet and Alan, aunt and friend of so many people around the world, lost her courageous two-year battle against inflammatory breast cancer. She was 48.

Now, coinciding with what would have been here 50th birthday (Sept 7, 2010), Becca's family, friends and colleagues are pleased to announce the creation of the Rebecca Lipkin Fund in conjunction with Susan G. Komen for the Cure. We will be raising IBC specific funding for one sole purpose: to eradicate the world of this devastating form of breast cancer through education, prevention and research.

An award-winning journalist, Rebecca worked for major broadcasters, traveling the world reporting on and seeking answers to the important questions of the day. When diagnosed with IBC, Rebecca devoted herself to informing others about this rare form of cancer with her characteristic intelligence and giving spirit.

For more information about donating to the fund, please go to: http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1120&pxfid=139965

Rebecca’s moving memorial service in Washington, DC was held on July 26, 2009. You can view the service, in its entirety, here: http://rebeccamemorial.blip.tv/

You can read Rebecca’s obituary in The Washington Post here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/23/AR2009072303584.html

Additionally, at the following link, you can view a tribute to Rebecca on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” on July 26th along with “Not Angela’s Ashes,” Rebecca’s profile of Frank McCourt’s return to Ireland. This story was one of Rebecca’s favorite pieces:
http://www.mefeedia.com/tags/rebecca_lipkin

Melissa Rose created a photo tribute site at: http://www.celebratingrebeccalipkin.shutterfly.com

The friends and family of Rebecca invite you to join us here and celebrate her wonderful and inspirational life. Please click on “feedbacks” below to read tributes from around the world. You are also sincerely invited to add your own tributes, memories and stories about Rebecca.

The following note is from Gladys Lipkin, Rebecca’s much-beloved mother:

What is it like, as her mother, to love a daughter as well-known and loved as Rebecca? I can only marvel at the productive years as she went up the ladder for over twenty years at ABC-TV, and then at Al Jazeera English.
Rebecca was restless when involved in work. She always wanted to do more, know the whole story and every professional in seeking the information. She was never satisfied with covering the headline of the event, but sought out the background details that made each person relevant and important.
And so it has been with Becca's relationships with family, relatives, friends and co-workers. She would seek and remember details of everyone's life because she was truly interested. She met many famous people, but was no less involved with the unknown. She even shared her knowledge about her brother and sister, father and mother, expressing pride in their accomplishments while speaking little of her own.
Did we, the family, love her? Absolutely! She loved and was loved by everyone with whom she came in contact, but none more than her family. We were the luckiest people since we were able to share the happy as well as sad times of her life.
I pray that all of us will remember Rebecca as the smiling, involved, brilliant individual and journalist and not concentrate on this sad end. She told me recently that she thought her death would be regarded as a failure. I believe she realized she had not failed, but that her fight to live her life to the fullest, even when so ill has inspired us all. So when you speak of her, smile and rejoice for her incredible spirit and spunk, and be happy that you were among those who were privileged to know her.

Gladys Lipkin

Inflammatory Breast Cancer is the most aggressive type of breast cancer, accounting for 1 to 5 percent of all breast cancer cases in the United States. The family requests that in lieu of flowers donations be made to:

http://www.info-komen.org/site/TR?pg=fund&fr_id=1120&pxfid=139965