Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen

John Tripp, a man of so many thoughts and ideas, is now silent. The words in today's Quincy Herald-Whig are shocking to read:

"John F. Tripp, 58, of 2101 Jersey, died May 16, 2009, in his home. The Hansen-Spear Funeral Home is handling arrangements."

That is it. You can find it on page 14-A, right beside a 16-inch cell phone advertisement. He'd love that! "Right by a f***ing cell phone ad," he might bellow. "Give me a break!"

I'm sure this morning many people read his death notice, and followed with the question "THE John Tripp?"

Yes, he was THE John Tripp. And there was only one.

It may be safe to say that nobody knew John 100%. Not even Barb or his adored kids. His mouth provided an open door into his soul, yet he also withheld many thoughts and ideas, perhaps saving them for the only person who could appreciate it totally, himself. I imagine today there are many different thoughts about John the man, depending on which side he exposed to you.

Some of us will remember John as intelligent, driven, kind, generous, understanding, expressive, spontaneous, loud, entertaining, authoritative, inquisitive, insecure, curious, a perfectionist and proud. John was all these things and more.

The more we got to know him, the more we realized that three areas dominated John's interests: Family, Knowledge, and Golf.

No man was more proud of his family than John. There's a group of ten guys in Quincy who started each day with John, sitting around a table enjoying equal helpings of coffee and bullshit. John indulged in both. He often talked about his days growing up back in New York, the big family meals, the chores on the farm, and Bill "that crazy f***ing brother" of his. His first hero was his dad, he adored his mom, and the siblings added great joy to his life. We loved to hear the stories.

Back here in the midwest, Barb changed his life, giving it a purpose and great meaning. It's obvious John would have been successful in business anywhere, but it was his love for Barb that made him whole. He adored her and the life she had shared with him. His children, Meredith and Sara, gave him great joy, brought two new sons into his world, and somehow they were not only accepted, but loved, by their new cranky father-in-law. If you want to understand what made John tick during his final few years, just read earlier entries in "Up, Down, and Around Our Town." His love for grandson Wilson and granddaughter Sasha was wonderful. Yes, the grumpy old fart had his heart melted by these two angels.

Last year, when Sasha was born, John got to spend a couple of weeks getting Wilson through his school day. His stories of going back to kindergarden warmed the heart, and were also hysterical. I urged John to make this experience the basis of his first book. I hope someday, we'll find that he had started that project.

John had a thirst for knowledge, and later, to share his knowledge. In the late 1960's his parents hauled him from New York to Canton, Missouri because "they were the only ones who would take me!" But this big dude with a smart mouth found the pace of the midwest, and the opportunity to learn at C-SC, appealling. He read everything, listed to everything, and watched everything. John seemed to live in a game of Jeopardy every day. He was always the first person to provide the answer to any question, like he had to beat the rest of us to buzz in. He was lightning fast. Our coffee group loved to point out that occassionally he was even correct.

John was a gifted speaker, and entertained hundreds of local organizations with his ability to emcee an event, or act as the featured speaker. Nobody prepared more, and nobody enjoyed shining in a spotlight more than he. He was magnificent.

He also made a huge contribution to Quincy by organizing the Blessing Hospice program 25 years ago. Imagine the thousands of people who he has aided through that service!

In recent year's John's life was turned upside down when he lost his job with Denman. He was a very proud man, one who was stunned by this development. It shook him, ate at his pride, and crushed his spirit. I don't think he ever got over it.

But he did turn that devasation into another wonderful chapter in his story. It provided an opportunity to return to C-SC to teach. And he was a natural. On this website, here's what John wrote this past year about his re-connecting with life in college:

"Spending time with young people is a great gift"--March 23, 2009

"The joy of being with these young people cannot be measured."--April 27, 2009

"They keep you young, they challenge you and they are truly interested in many things." --August 25, 2008

He had so much swirling around in his head it seems natural that he would love to share his thoughts. He loved being with his students, hoping to give them some sort of a head-start on their lives. He also loved this column because it gave him a forum to vent, spew, and entertain.

And then there's golf. He's told us that he probably would have left Canton within a day or so had it not been for golf. He thought his parents had dropped him off in the middle of nowhere (and they did), but Canton suddenly seemed a bit more interesting when he found out there was a golf course over on the next hill.

That fluid swing brought him from New York to Missouri, and has followed him through the U-S. Easy swing, and enjoy the ball as it fades a bit left to right. Maybe that swing was the one true love he enjoyed for all of his 58 years. While all of us have shared parts of his life, that swing has been there through it all -- his first love.

John's final round of golf was in my tournament to help raise money for scholarships. Yes, he did it "For The Chiiiiildren!" as he loved to draw out.

It was the best I ever saw him play. After the golf, we were sitting in the clubhouse, and just before he left to race back home to the girl of his dreams, he turned to me and said "I never missed an iron all day." And he smiled from ear to ear. His final round was flawless. He finished in style.

Today we mourn his loss. He was huge, and a character we'll all think about often. We'll miss his laugh, his b-s, and his kindness. He's gone too soon.

But now he gets to enjoy the only place where he could find the perfection he always looked for. He is Home.

By now John has had a big meal with his Dad, and he gave him an update on the Cardinals. He's done an interview with Ronald Reagan, and talked about the day they shared in Canton years ago.

And damn it, he finally got to see what it looks like inside the gates at Augusta National.

John may have been the biggest fan of the TV show M*A*S*H*. The final episode was titled "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen"

From all of us here, John.............