Judy Tripp

1950 - 2007

BILLINGS -- Under the light of a beautiful winter Montana full moon, Judith Anne Tripp, in the presence of her loving family, passed to the arms of the Lord. She was stricken earlier that morning by an inoperable brain bleed which resulted in her untimely death. Her passing has left a very large void in her family and she will be missed.

Judy was born Oct. 21, 1950, in Billings, the third daughter of Don and Palma Bertelson. She was educated in the Billings School District and graduated from Senior High School in 1969. She attended Eastern Montana College studying business, where she met her life-long soul mate and husband of 35 years.

She worked for a short time for Pierce Packing Company and then as a bank teller at First Citizens Bank. She married John Tripp in March 1973, and they resided in Billings until mid-summer and then moved to Omaha, Neb., where she continued to be a teller for U.S. National Bank.

During that time she was promoted to supervisor teller for the downtown branch. After four years and many adventures in Omaha, the family returned to Billings with a new member of the family, Ryan John. He was joined by a sister, Allison Anne, two years later.

Judy was active in John's dental practice from an accounting standpoint, a position that she maintained until she became too ill in the mid-1990s. Judy was very involved with the raising of Allison and Ryan and creating a wonderful home for the whole family.

Judy loved to be with people and have fun. It did not have to be a great big lavish party but an impromptu barbeque in the backyard. Her desire to serve people and to make them feel at home and welcome spanned her whole life.

Her love for Allison and Ryan was unconditional and she supported them in ways that will become more evident as their lives unfold, because of the life lessons that she embedded in their upbringing.

Judy was a fierce competitor in everything that she did whether she was golfing, tubing at Yellowtail Reservoir, playing Yahtzee for hours at the cabin or playing cards. She was playing to win but not at your expense; she did not want to defeat her competitor but rather beat the game.

Her ideals could not be challenged; she had an acute sense of fair play and honesty and chose not to associate with those that could not play by the rules. She brought to her world a very ordered, systematic and time table-driven way of dealing with daily tasks.

Judy had many accomplishments in her life; I think she would say Allison and Ryan were her best. She also had many things that she enjoyed and excelled at, golf and bowling being two. She enjoyed playing both competitive and recreational golf and bowling. Some of her accomplishments included: four holes in one, winning some flights in the Montana State Ladies Amateur Competitions, PAR 3 Ladies Club Championship 2000-2003 and 2005, JoAnn Wall Memorial 1998 (in Roundup), participating and winning flights for individual and team play for golf and bowling in the U.S. Transplant Games in 1996, 1998 and 2000 (sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation), and participating in the PAR-TEE several times.

Judy participated in the Powder Horn Pro-Am and was on the winning team one year, which resulted in a great sense of satisfaction and accomplishment for her. She was involved extensively with the Briarwood Bash and Club Championships, bowled on several leagues and participated in City and State Bowling Championships, both team and individual.

In all of her endeavors, her desire to be with people and to interact with them was the driving force.

Judy was preceded in death by her parents and eldest sister, Linda.

She is survived by her husband, John; daughter, Allison; son, Ryan; sister, Donna Farrier and her husband Curt; bother, Jerry Bertelson, his wife Linda and their three children, Brooke, Rebecca and Brock; niece, Britta Conrad, her husband Billy and their two children, Jessica and Will; nephew, Kirk Jensen, his wife Keri and their two daughters, Lauren and Brooklynn; numerous cousins in the Midwest; and the extended families of the Bergs, Conways and Warrens.

Judy is missed by all of those who she had contact with and especially her family and extended family. Her love of life and enthusiasm for social interaction are lessons that we can all take with us as we remember Judy.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd with a reception to follow at the Briarwood Country Club.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Kidney Foundation, 30 E. 33rd St., New York, NY 10016 (www.nationalkidneyfoundation.org).

Arrangements are in the care of Dahl Funeral & Cremation Service.