John Bryson Tripp

John Bryson Tripp died at the age of 53, on Thursday, May 6, 2010 after a 3 year battle with cancer.  He died as he lived; with faith in Jesus Christ and patience with humility in all that he faced.  John will be long remembered as a loving husband, father, and friend.  He was married to Terry for 29 years, in which they raised 3 children: Bryson, 25; Marta, 23; and Emily, 20.  Hiking, biking and sailing were there family hobbies and vacations together.  John was a musician, playing the trombone, guitar and piano with skill and passion.  He loved leading worship at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue.

John was a teacher in the Lake Washington School District for 24 years.  First at Redmond Jr. High and then Eastlake High School; teaching the sciences was a passion as well, but more than the actual instruction, John loved to encourage students in life lessons that would serve them into adulthood.  By the time of his death, there were more than 1700 members to a Facebook page entitled, “Prayers for Mr. Tripp”‘; started by a student at EHS.  John was raised in Bellevue; graduating from Newport High in 1974 and earning a double degree in Chemistry and Chemical Engineering from the U.W. in 1979.  He briefly worked for the engineering company, KPFF in Seattle, upon his college graduation, but soon felt the pull to education and investing his life in young people.  He earned a Master of Education from SPU in 1990.  For the last 3 years, John’s journey has been chronicled on a Caring Bridge site on-line.  His tenacity, commitment, loving and kind spirit, as well as an enduring legacy of living the truths he believed in are expressed for the over 23,000 times people logged on to read his story.

John is survived by his mother, Helen Tripp, and his two sisters, Janie Palmer and Cathy Young, as well as two nephews and a niece.  There are brother and sister-in-laws and many nephews and nieces on Terry’s side, who called him brother and uncle with respect and love throughout their marriage.  Terry and the kids are especially grateful to all the support and love they have received throughout this difficult journey – you all will be remembered for your faithful prayers and expressed love for their beloved John.

A memorial service celebrating John’s life will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue on Saturday, May 15th, at 2 pm.