Dear Centralians,

In the event you have not heard, it is with deep sadness that I inform you that our beloved fellow Alum, Miriam E. Pipes ’62, passed. Miriam loved CSU, was a staunch supporter of our Alma Mater, and published The Pipeline as a means to keep Alumni connected to updates regarding the University, updates on other Alumni and local events here in Detroit. She is truly missed.

Flowers will be sent from the Detroit Chapter.

Below are her funeral service arrangements in both Detroit and Indianapolis.

Funeral Services
Detroit
Wednesday, July 23
12:00 p.m. Viewing
5:00 p.m. Service
Swanson Funeral Home
14751 W. McNichols Rd
Detroit MI
313-272-9000

Indianapolis
Saturday, July 26th
10:00 am Viewing
11:30 am Service
Lavenia & Smith Home for Funerals
5811 E 38th St
Indianapolis, IN
317-547-5814

For God, For Central, For State

Miriam’s Online Bio:
Miriam E. Pipes, an Indianapolis, IN native, in 1957, upon graduating from Crispus Attucks High School (C.A.H.S.) entered then Central State College, later earning a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Education. She served as a Floor Advisor to Freshmen Women in O’Neil Hall, and as a typing clerk, prior to beginning a career, which lasted nearly thirty-six (36) years, in education in the Detroit Public Schools system, Detroit Michigan. She was employed in the capacity of a business teacher, a psychological services administrator, responsible for service to thirty-three (33) schools, and she retired as a psychologist. For a number of years, Miriam obtained scholarships and financial aid for high school students and served as an advisor to graduating high school seniors.

“Sugar” or “Pipes” as she is fondly called by her family and friends, devoted a great deal of time active in the Central State University (CSU) Alumni Association as a board member; involvement, as the Chairperson of Homecoming activities, and in local and national fundraisers–her most memorable and profitable being the Chairperson of the 12th Annual, 1978 CSU Off-Campus Conference, held in Detroit, which netted over $10,500 for the university!

Post-retirement years include PipelineCSU@aol.com, the e-mail address from which the popular alumni newsletter, is published, with hundreds of readers, voluntarily edited/published by Miriam. For the past ten (10) years, she has diligently sent the newsletter, primarily, to those who were at Central State in the late ‘50’s. The Pipeline CSU keeps Centralians connected with current news about this era’s peer group.

Purpledirectory@aol.com is the 2nd electronic e-mail newsletter address from which funeral and other news is voluntarily edited/published by Miriam. This newsletter, is read by hundreds in the funeral industry. Pipeline CSU and Purple Directory/Shugar’s are fan pages on FACEBOOK.

Nation-wide readers of her electronic e-mail newsletters contributed $1,000.00 to the Crispus Attucks Museum, which purchased the bust of C.A.H.S.’s late principal, Dr. Russell A. Lane, in the celebration of Miriam’s 50th year of graduation from Crispus
Attucks High School. Miriam’s interest in journalism began when she was Editor of the Attucks News—her high school newspaper. (See: http://indiamond6.ulib.iupui.edu/cdm/compoundobject/collection/CAttucks/id/6834/rec/6 p. 2)

Miriam also is the editor/publisher of the Purple Directory—a nationwide listing of 2,800+ African-American funeral homes, by state. The Purple Directory is published biennially and is in its tenth (10th ) edition. The directory assists those in the funeral
industry to ship remains inter-andintra-state. Her company, Shugar’s, awards scholarships to mortuary science students. (See:http://www.purpledirectory.com/) She travels frequently to funeral association conventions to promote the directory, which Miriam has been affiliated with for the past twenty-nine (29) years.

In addition to membership in the Central State University Alumni (CSU), she holds memberships in the alumni associations, from which she earned advanced degrees–The University of Michigan, and Wayne State University (WSU). In recognition of service
and financial support, she was awarded an Honorary Life Membership in the West Virginia State University Alumni. Post-degree courses were taken in Business Administration and Miriam matriculated as a doctoral candidate in Educational Administration, at WSU.

She is a Golden Soror and Life Member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, having held several sorority offices, inclusive of Basileus, in Central State’s Beta Xi Chapter. Miriam is a member of St. Paul AME Zion Church, Detroit, MI.