In 1989, at the age of 74, Tipton had medical problems. He said it was emphysema and refused to call a doctor. Actually he had a hemorrhaging peptic ulcer. He died because he did not get medical care for this serious problem. His son William watched while paramedics were trying to save Tipton's life. That is how William learned that his father was born female. Tipton was pronounced dead at Valley General Hospital. The coroner shared the secret with the rest of the family. Kitty had his body to be cremated so that nobody would find out, but one of their sons did not keep the secret. A newspaper article was published the day after Tipton's funeral and wire services picked it up. Stories about Tipton appeared in papers including tabloids such as "National Enquirer" and "Star", as well as more serious papers such as "New York Magazine" and "The Seattle Times". Tipton's family even made talk show appearances.