Sipho Alexander Msipa

NORTH CANAAN — Sipho Alexander Msipa, 24, tragically passed away on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. 

Sipho was born on Oct. 24, 1995, in Sharon Hospital, the son of  Anne Fitzgerald of North Canaan and Charles Msipa of Harare, Zimbabwe. The name Sipho, when directly translated from the Zulu, means “God’s Gift,” and indeed he was a gift to all who knew and loved him.

Sipho spent his early years living with his family in Zimbabwe, in a happy, loving and bilingual environment.  He was especially close to his beloved nanny, Nina, and he spent many carefree days with his best friend, Bernardino, a young Mozambican boy who lived on the property.

After a family move back to the U.S., Sipho attended Salisbury Central School (K-three), North Canaan Elementary School (four), and ultimately graduated from Indian Mountain School (five to nine) in the ninth grade. While a student at Indian Mountain, Sipho took up the guitar under the tutelage of his lifelong friend and mentor Ram Miles and became a key member of both the rock and jazz band. 

There was one memorable night when Sipho sat alone onstage under the spotlight and played a very magical solo acoustic instrumental on his grandfather’s four-string guitar. The room fell silent and Sipho shared his joy and love of music with everyone. It was also at IMS that Sipho developed a passion for snowboarding, a passion he pursued competitively in high school. During these years, he spent many hours with the Trotta family honing his fishing skills. Fishing and Sipho were a great match — a natural pursuit for a young man who was quiet, deeply thoughtful and introspective. To everything he did, Sipho brought patience and determination.

Sipho proceeded to spend the next four years at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, Vt., graduating in June of 2014. There he dedicated himself to his love of guitar through jazz band and rock band, his appreciation of the natural environment through competitive snowboarding and competitive mountain biking, and to being an accomplished midfielder on the Vermont Academy varsity lacrosse team. 

Sipho spent the spring of his junior year studying in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. He loved the Spanish language and had many wonderful memories of his time there living with a host family, an experience that carried him forward into AP Spanish Lit in his final year. Also in his senior year, Sipho was awarded the Burton Snowboard Award, awarded to a boy and girl rider who have shown the greatest improvement in his or her snowboard racing ability over the course of the season. Sipho was awarded the music prize upon his graduation, presented by music director and dear friend Steve Cady. Above all else, Sipho was a wonderful friend and teammate and fellow musician who shared his kind spirit and sensitive soul with all those around him.

Following high school, Sipho spent some time at both the University of Vermont and Bennington College and also took almost a year to live and do volunteer work in Africa. In addition to spending quality time with family in Zimbabwe,  Sipho lived in Cape Town, South Africa, where he volunteered for SEED, working in Mitchells Plain, helping families in this highly populated suburb to grow their own food (using boxes) and potentially bring some to market. He also busked on the street with a female companion and the duo was known as Lady Sparrow and the Medicine Man.

In more recent years, Sipho had developed into a highly skilled painter and craftsman, ultimately landing with PK Painting and Restoration in North Canaan, a company that has been his extended family for the past several years. In the words of his colleague and good friend Dan Mordecai, Sipho had a great sense of humor, was a great listener and an extremely bright problem solver who was devoted to all — a positive person whom he loved talking to about music and life. Outside of work, Sipho enjoyed spending time with his friends, his mother and adoring sisters, visiting his father and family in Zimbabwe, trail running, mountain biking, shopping for wholesome and organic food and cooking delicious coconut curries and stir-fries. 

Sipho is predeceased by his maternal grandparents, Martha and Richard Fitzgerald; his paternal grandparents, Charlotte and Cephas Msipa; and his maternal uncle, Peter Fitzgerald. He is survived by his parents, Anne Fitzgerald of North Canaan and Charles and Mercy Msipa of Harare, Zimbabwe; his siblings, Aida and Macie Blue of North Canaan and Nozizwe and Mandhla Msipa of Harare, Zimbabwe;  and his godparents, Molly Fitzgerald of Wilton, Conn., and Matt Fitzgerald of Alexandria, Va. He also leaves behind many aunts, uncles and cousins, who will all remember his gigantic smile and gentle ways.

The family wishes to acknowledge and express profound gratitude to all those who have reached out and offered support at this time, especially Mike Pallone, Greg Karcheski, Dan Mordecai and the entire PK Family, and Jody Soja and the Indian Mountain School community.

There is a plan to hold a celebration of Sipho’s life in the summer and to establish a charitable fund in his memory. The details of the fund are still to be worked out. Please e-mail annie.fitz.2013@gmail.com if you wish to be kept abreast of developments.