Gregory Dean Lipstreuer

Greg passed away on August 19, 2026, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s. 

He was born in Euclid, Ohio on November 26,1956 to Arline Lyda and Kenneth George Lipstreuer.  He was their third son, the little brother to Kenny and Jeff, and ten years later would himself become a big brother to sister Vicki. 

He spent his early years participating in the YMCA Indian Guides where he was named Thunder Cloud 3 (for reasons obvious to the family of three boys) and the Cub Scouts, Euclid Pack 56, with his brother Jeff. The family was active in all things related to American Legion Euclid Post 343, with the boys often helping their Dad collect the flags and rifles for services and parades on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Veterans Day.  As young adults, they would help their Grampa Harry set up the bar, dubbed “Harry’s Dugout,” at Post 343.  Greg attended Upson Elementary, Forest Park Junior High, Euclid Senior High School, and took classes at Cleveland State University and Lakeland Community College where he earned a degree as a paralegal. 

In his youth, Greg worked a variety of jobs, including positions at the JC Penny Department Store, the Richmond Heights Police Department Auxiliary, and the Revco Drugstore before temporarily moving to Texas. He ultimately returned to Euclid and spent several years at Revco before transitioning to the Hyundai and Toyota Classic Car Dealerships in Mentor, Ohio.  It was at Classic where Greg’s semi-photographic memory became apparent as he could easily memorize the vehicle identification numbers of the cars he sold.  In 1994, Greg joined the United States Postal Service and worked tirelessly for nearly thirty years delivering mail in a variety of neighborhoods.

While sports played a relatively minor role in Greg’s life, he was a champion in his own unique way.  In Cub Scouts he built and raced in the famous Pinewood Derby, triumphantly taking third place in 1966.  While not an athlete himself, spirited ping-pong matches against the neighbors, the Pullings, were a regular occurrence in the backyard of Greg’s childhood home on Shoreview Avenue. Greg was an avid baseball fan, memorizing player stats with ease. He followed the Cleveland Indians (now the Guardians) faithfully through many seasons and took in several games of the minor league team the Lake County Captains.  A true Clevelander to the end, Greg, like his Dad, rooted for the Cleveland Browns unfailingly, and backed the Cleveland Cavaliers through thick and thin.

Greg possessed a variety of talents and was a naturally gifted artist, creating wood carvings and pencil portraits all without any formal schooling. His sharp wit shined through in his caricatures which he frequently used to lovingly roast his family.  It was a common ritual for Greg to flip over the paper placemat in a restaurant, ask his Mom for a pen (which she always had at the ready), and begin drawing a series of sketches to entertain his little sister and later, his own children.  He was the person you wanted on your team during a round of Pictionary.  Greg inherited his artistic flair from his Mom, an accomplished cake decorator who often called upon him to orchestrate complete cake layouts or add the perfect embellishments to her designs. His creativity extended to the family’s Christmas American Flyer train set, too. As the layout expanded over the years, Greg customized the town of Plasticville with tiny details.  He handcrafted miniature bicycles made from wire, placed microscopic trash bags on the curb for garbage day, and released a cardboard shark fin in the neighborhood pool.

He deeply loved music and enjoyed taking in a live concert by the Cleveland Orchestra or tuning into PBS to watch the Boston Pops Orchestra.  His record collection was filled with classical masterpieces and a wide array of orchestral movie soundtracks.  He was a walking, breathing IMDb (Internet Movie Database) and could be called upon in games of Trivial Pursuit to name the cast of virtually any movie.

The full spectrum of Greg’s talents finally found practical purpose once his children arrived.  His son, Kevin Michael, was born in Euclid, and five years later, following a move to Mentor, Ohio, daughter Jessie Lynn completed the family roster.  Greg took his role of father seriously, meaning he taught them the cutthroat strategies for countless, high stakes card games such as Solitaire, Rummy, Crazy Eights and Uno; he was the go-to creative consultant and production assistant for every grade school art project they brought home; he endured endless softball pitching practices in the backyard; and engineered unique Halloween decorations every October.  Greg also possessed a legendary sweet tooth; a trait Kevin and Jessie luckily did not inherit. He was a master at engineering excuses to take the kids for ice cream.  Whether it was following a rousing game of putt-putt golf, or a full day at Lake Metroparks Farmpark, ice cream was the perfect ending.

When it came to his four-legged family members, Greg had an equally generous heart.  He was a “procurer” of cats, taking in strays, helping birth kittens, and bottle-feeding a myriad of litters.  This lifelong passion evolved in his later years, with Greg flooding his family’s inboxes with hilarious cat videos. He even developed a deep love of dogs, despite the less-than-enthusiastic receptions he frequently received from them while in his postal uniform. 

Greg was a supportive and dedicated son to his Dad (“Pops”), an amazing friend and soulmate to his Mom, a witty and loving “Bro” to his two brothers, a fabulous big brother to his sister, a caring, nurturing father to his children, Kevin and Jessie, the “fun uncle” to all his nieces and nephews, the young “cuz” to all his cousins, a wonderful neighbor and an exceptional friend. He possessed a brilliant mind and a deeply creative soul.  Greg’s wit, humor and heart brought a smile to everyone who knew him, leaving behind a legacy of laughter, warmth and even more laughter.

Memorials can be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research https://www.michaeljfox.org

Or to the Lake Humane Society and Adoption Center of Mentor, Ohio https://lakehumane.org/get-involved/make-a-donation/donate-now

Arrangements have been entrusted to Jeff Monreal Funeral Home & Cremation Services of Painesville.