TRIPPETT, Frank Leftwich
Feb. 17, 1951 to April 29, 2021
Surrounded by his family and in the minds and prayers of his friends, Frank Leftwich Trippett died peacefully at home on April 29, 2021. The cause was mesothelioma.
Frank Trippett was born in Greenwood, Mississippi, the son of Eva Lillian McBee Trippett and Bernard Leftwich Trippett. His intelligence and thoughtfulness were evident from an early age. As a youngster he exhibited a serious and sober demeanor combined with natural humor, qualities he showed throughout his life and which drew so many people so strongly to him. He was proud of his family's Mississippi and Ohio roots, which were the foundation of the principles by which he lived: honor,
duty, and love for his country and his family.
Frank graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and then earned a Master of Arts Degree at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1975. He served abroad with distinction in Islamabad, Karachi, Rabat, Bucharest, Jerusalem, twice in London, and Stockholm. During his career, Frank earned three exceptional performance awards and one group meritorious citation. Upon his retirement in 2001, he was awarded the
Career Intelligence Medal. Following his government service, Frank successfully pursued engagements in the private sector.
Frank was a good listener and had an abiding curiosity about the world. He could size up a situation and make sense of it through the maze of culture, language and philosophical
differences that often cloud our relations with other
countries. Frank was a gifted linguist. He spoke French, Italian, Romanian, and Urdu. His family accompanied him on most of his overseas tours; they too served America. Frank felt a
special connection to patriotic service when the destroyer USS Leftwich, named in honor of Colonel William G. Leftwich, his father's first cousin, who was killed in Vietnam, was commissioned in August 1979.
As justifiably proud as he was of his service to the United States, Frank was even more proud of the family he and his wife of 42 years Linda created. He burst with pride describing what his daughters Hailey and Rachel had most recently
accomplished. Becoming a grandfather connected him to the future.
Frank Trippett was a strong hiker and cyclist. He enjoyed the groups he hiked with, and, as he had in his professional life, he created opportunities to learn something from everyone. He was proud of completing the Tour de Mont Blanc. Hiking and biking also allowed Frank to pursue his fascination with sports equipment of all kinds. He was an amusing and knowledgeable guide to gear for his less learned friends.
Frank loved to listen to music, especially "that old time rock and roll." He was an enthusiastic sampler of many artists, but always returned to Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones, and Eric Clapton playing Robert Johnson. He was also an eclectic reader. He was interested in philosophy and thinking about life's mysteries. When his daughter Rachel moved to New Mexico to serve as a doctor in the Indian Health Service, he dove into books about the history and cultures of Native Americans and the stories of early Spanish and American explorers.
Frank made it a priority in his life to keep in regular contact with his friends and classmates from his early school years, his cousins in Mississippi, and his many friends and colleagues around the world. He was a faithful correspondent known for his lengthy and wry letters, emails, and sometimes surprise phone calls.
Frank Trippett is survived by his wife Linda; his daughters Hailey and Rachel; son-in-law Robert Bamberger Greiwe;
Rachel and Bam's son Noah; his sister Lillian and her children Brooke and Benjamin.
Frank Trippett lived the last weeks of his too short life with good humor, grace, curiosity, compassion for others and the fierce love he had for his family.
There will be a celebration of Frank's life later this year. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider contributing to The Frank Leftwich Trippett Miami University Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) Fund or to the Arc of Northern Virginia.
The Arc of Northern Virginia is a social services agency which supports individuals with intellectual and developmental
disabilities. Frank actively and strongly supported their work. The Arc of Northern Virginia's website is www.thearcofnova.org.
The Dolibois Center is Miami University's European Center in Luxembourg. Frank participated in the program as a student and supported it throughout his life. To contribute, go to www.GiveToMiamiOH.org/Give and enter The Frank Leftwich Trippett Miami University Dolibois European Center (MUDEC) Fund in the "Additional Gift Details" section. Contributions can also be made by phone or mail; those instructions can be found on the Miami giving page website.
TRIPPETT, Frank
