Robert Campbell Ripley was born January 25, 1913 in Lethbridge.  His family moved to Toronto and he graduated high school from North Toronto Collegiate and university from the Royal Military College where upon he entered the Royal Canadian Air Force.  After his service in World War Two he was awarded the Order of the British Empire. He held various Air Force administrative posts and once was Assistant Chief of Staff for Plans and Policy with the Allied Air Forces in Europe. He was married to Frances and they had two children (Robert and Jane). Robert died at the age of 44 in a B-25 Mitchell bomber crash near Ottawa where he had been serving as the RCAF head of Air Material Command.  He had attained the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.  Robert was buried at Beechwood cemetery in Ottawa.