Jack Edmund Tripp

Jack grew up in Royal Oak, with his two older sisters, Shirley and Eleanor. When Jack was 10, he returned to London with his mother and sister, Eleanor, the younger of the two, after his parents’ marriage broke up.

Shirley continued to live in Detroit, and complete her schooling there. However, Jack remained very close to both of his sisters, always assuming the caretaker role, despite the fact that he was the youngest.

As a young child, Jack never needed to be the centre of attention, nor did he force his way into games or other activities. He developed a variety of interests, though, and he excelled at the things he enjoyed doing. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable, two traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Jack as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from London South Collegiate in 1939. Jack was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. He always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though he could easily master any problem that might be presented to him.

Jack joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942 as a flight instructor in the Commonwealth Air Training Program, and was based mainly in Centralia, Ontario. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He received praise for his exemplary service, including being awarded Kings Commendation for Valuable Service. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

One eventful evening, Jack attended the London Life Troupe Show, and was entertained by a young singer named Doris Martin, among others. When one of Jack’s friends asked if there was anyone in the show he’d like to meet, his immediate response was “That singer, Doris Martin.”

Jack and Doris were married on January 13, 1944, at the Adelaide Street Baptist Church, in London, Ontario. Jack and Doris had three children: Douglas Edmund, born on December 16, 1945; Janis Irene, born on October 14, 1949; and Lisa Ann, born on July 14, 1960.

They were also blessed with four grandchildren, Jeffrey, Heather, Justin and Carrie, and five great-grandchildren, Keegan, Nyah, Abigail, Oskar and Amelia.

Jack greatly enjoyed what he did for a living. He was a stickler about being on time and was excellent at meeting deadlines. He was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, and was adamant about things being done right. His primary occupation was a supervisor for Bell Telephone Company. He was employed for 40 years by Bell Telephone, and retired in 1980.

Jack liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into his hobbies, where he was very methodical in how he organized his activities and categorized things. His two favourite pursuits were handy-man projects and wine-making.

Jack enjoyed watching sports; in particular, baseball, football and hockey. His favourite teams included the Detroit Tigers, Toronto Blue Jays, Toronto Maple Leafs and Buffalo Bills.

He also enjoyed getting together with his family and friends, for dinners, games of bridge or euchre, or for swimming in the family pool.

As a man who always showed great commitment to the things he believed in, it’s little wonder that Jack was active in his community. He was a member of several community groups, including serving on committees for the Westway United Church Board of Management, and the condominium in which he lived when he and Doris moved to Cambridge in 1996. At the age of 68, Jack began volunteering with Community Care Access Centre in Cambridge, and delivered Meals on Wheels for 25 years, retiring at the age of 93.

Jack enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Jack appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where he traveled, Jack always had a backup plan at the ready, just in case. Favourite vacations included motoring trips throughout Canada and the U. S. when his family was younger, European tours, Cuba resorts, and cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, and the Rhine River.

Jack was a lover of animals and cherished his pets. Two of Jack’s favourites were Hercules, a toy poodle, and Chloe, a Bichon Frise.

Jack Edmund Tripp passed away on August 21, 2015 at Hospice Wellington, Guelph Ontario, after being unable to recover from pneumonia. He is survived by his children, Doug, Janis and Lisa; grandchildren, Jeff, Heather, Justin and Carrie; and great-grandchildren, Keegan, Nyah, Abigail, Oskar and Amelia. Services were held at Coutts Funeral Home on August 28, 2015, and Jack was laid to rest in Memory Gardens, Breslau, Ontario, alongside his wife, Doris.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Jack Edmund Tripp. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.

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Flt./Lt. RCAF

Passed away peacefully on August 21st in his 95th year after a short illness, surrounded by family at Hospice Wellington, Guelph. Predeceased by his wife of 68 years, Doris Irene (Martin). Loving father to Doug (Linda), Jan Wood-Markowsky (Barry), and Lisa Browning. Beloved Papa to Jeff (Sandra Belfry), Heather Jonsen (Scott), Justin (Zuzanna Szlachcic), and Carrie Browning (Matt Berces), and Papa-Great to Keegan, Nyah, Abigail, Oskar, and Amelia. Greatly missed by his companion Joyce Macdonald. Jack was born on November 10 1920 in Royal Oak, Michigan, and raised from a young age in London Ontario. After graduating from London South Collegiate he enlisted in the RCAF, served as a flying instructor in the Commonwealth Air Training Program, and received the King’s Commendation for valuable service. A long-time resident of London, Etobicoke and Cambridge, Jack retired with 40 years’ service with Bell Canada. At age 93, Jack retired from 25 years of volunteer service delivering “Meals on Wheels” in Cambridge. The family will receive visitors on Thursday evening August 27 at 7 to 9 pm, and the funeral will take place at 11 am Friday August 28, both at Coutts Funeral Home, 96 St. Andrews St., Cambridge. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations in Jack’s memory to Hospice Wellington, Guelph or Meals on Wheels, Cambridge.