Joseph A. Tripi

Joseph A. “Joe” Tripi, 88, of Great Falls, passed away Wednesday, November 15, 2017. Joe was born in Seattle, Washington on May 30, 1929 to Anthony and Florence Tripi. He attended school in California and enlisted in the navy on August 18, 1947 as a Pharmacist Mate Striker. Upon graduation from Great Lakes Hospital Corps school, he was assigned to the Naval Hospital , Philadelphia, PA. At this time, he met Anna Fagnani, whom he later married. They had a daughter, Florence Ann “Tina” Tripi. In 1948, he was transferred to Camp Le June for field medical and combat training as a “Fleet Marine Force” Corpsman. He served with the Second Marine Division Fourth Marine Regiment. Joe was released from active duty only to be recalled to active duty eleven months later and served as a FMF Corpsman in Korea. On return home he and Anna separated and were divorced. He returned to Bakersfield, CA, where he met and married Mabel Irene Green. They had three sons, Joseph II “Tony” Tripi, Victor A. Tripi and Jeremy A. Tripi. Irene and Joe served as commissioned police officers with the Bakersfield Police Dept. In October, 1966, Joe returned to active duty and served in a specialty recruiting position for ten years in Sand Diego, CA and eight years in Great Falls, MT. Joe retired September 30, 1984. His hobbies were woodworking and music. Joe was a 32nd Degree Scottish Rite Mason, a Noble of the Algeria Shrine Temple, past president of the Great Falls Shrine Club, and spent ten years as an aide, bass, and tenor drummer with the Great Falls Shriner Bagpipe Band.