Marlene M. Lippens, a medical assistant and a leader in professional organizations, who was a dedicated volunteer in the Catholic parishes to which she belonged, died Sunday in Hospice of Northwest Ohio, South Detroit Avenue. She was 86.

She had heart and other health problems, her husband, Julian Lippens, said Thursday.

Mrs. Lippens of South Toledo retired more than 20 years ago as a long-term care ombudsman certified by the Ohio Department of Aging.

“She could get anything done,” Mr. Lippens said. “If your mother would make a complaint, she would go out.”

She had been a support coordinator and clinical research assistant for the Jobst Vascular Center at what is now ProMedica Toledo Hospital. She was a medical staff assistant at the former Mercy Hospital.

As office manager of the Toledo Vascular Institute, she answered telephone calls and scheduled appointments, and was responsible for ordering supplies.

“She pretty much set up the practice when Dr. [Steven] Dosick came to town,” said Janet Cullum, a registered nurse who worked with her at the vascular institute and, after Mrs. Lippens left, assumed her duties.

Mrs. Lippens left a detailed note and advised of the responsibility of dealing with patients and the public. “If you can’t help the people when you answer the phone, you shouldn’t be answering the phone,” Ms. Cullum recalled of what Mrs. Lippens had told her.

“She was hardworking, very knowledgeable, definitely gave a lot of good advice,” Ms. Cullum said. “She was always joking and smiling. There was a hard-working side of her, but that fun side of her too. She was a pleasure to be around. She taught me a lot.”

Mrs. Lippens’ niece Anita Nowak Fannin said that her aunt “was a very take-charge person, whether it be in her home life or her work life.

“If there was an issue or challenge, she would take care of it. Doctors appreciated that she took care of problems that may arise,” said Mrs. Fannin, whose mother, Patricia Nowak — Mrs. Lippens’ sister — also worked at the vascular institute.

“For me personally, she was always an upbeat and positive influence on my life,” Mrs. Fannin said. “She was somebody I could turn to if I needed another ear to listen to me.”

Mrs. Lippens had been an officer of local and state medical assistant organizations.

“She was a strong-minded individual,” Mr. Lippens said. “Everybody respected her all her life. She cared about people. She was very well organized.”

Mrs. Lippens most recently was a member of St. Joan of Arc Parish, where she had been a lector — a role she filled earlier at St. Catherine and Our Lady of Lourdes parishes. At St. Catherine, she had been president of the altar and Rosary confraternity. At Our Lady of Lourdes, she served on the finance committee. She was past cultural chairman for the Toledo Diocesan Council of Catholic Women.

She was born Sept. 21, 1936, to Mary and Thomas Wolfe and grew up in West Toledo. She was a graduate of DeVilbiss High School. Early in her career, she worked at the former Parkview Hospital.

Surviving are her husband, Julian Lippens, whom she married in November, 1956; sons, Jeff Lippens, Scott Lippens, and Greg Lippens; sister, Barbara Shrader, and four grandchildren. 

At her request, Mrs. Lippens’ body was donated to the University of Toledo Health Science Campus, the former Medical College of Ohio.

A memorial Mass will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Joan of Arc Parish.

The family suggests tributes to Hospice of Northwest Ohio.

First Published March 24, 2023, 4:00 a.m.