Hulett Fred "Doc" Shipman

Hulett Fred “Doc” Shipman after a very long and fulfilling life passed away peacefully with family
by his side on Sunday February 27, 2022. Doc was born September 5, 1921 in Middletown,
New York to Hulett Andrew and Gussie Weise Shipman. From a young age he developed a
keen interest in electronics and built his own radios. This interest would be called upon during
his service in World War II as part of a secret experimental US Navy program that was a
precursor to radio controlled aircraft and ordnance. During the war he served for a time at a
base outside of Fort Worth, Texas and while attending a USO dance, he met his bride-to-be
Francis Berry. Doc served part of his time during the war in England and upon his return he was
stationed in Traverse City, Michigan where he and Francis married on February 10, 1945. After
he was discharged from the Navy, they settled in Middletown, New York where the first two of
their four children were born. They subsequently moved to Fort Worth, Texas in 1951 where he
went to work for the fledgling Bell Helicopter Company. Doc worked on numerous key projects
at Bell and traveled extensively worldwide on their behalf. He helped to develop industrial
standards for electrical wiring in a variety of aircraft and served on numerous national standards
boards. He worked at Bell for 31 years before his retirement.
Francis and Doc were active in the Council on World Affairs in Fort Worth for many years and
hosted a variety of foreign students in their home. They also traveled internationally for many
years after his retirement. They participated actively in the International Volkssport Federation
which consisted of 5k and 10k walks in all 50 U.S. states as well as several countries around
the world. Doc was very active in the Volunteer In Action (VIA) in Hurst, Texas and gave many
hours of service at the Hurst Public Library. After Francis passed away in 2001, Doc continued
to pursue a variety of adventures into his 80s including skydiving, hot air ballooning, and helping
to crew a schooner off the coast of Maine.
He is survived by his four children: David (and Anna) Shipman of Mansfield, TX; Charles (and
Lynda) Shipman of Arlington, TX ; Claudia (and Larry) Sweeney of Richland Hills, TX; and
Gloria Shipman of Des Moines, IA. In addition, he leaves five grandchildren and four
great-grandchildren.
The family will hold a private graveside gathering at a later date. If you would like to honor
Doc’s life, you can donate to his favorite charity: unbound.org.