Dwight L. Tripp, Jr.

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Dwight L. Tripp, Jr.

HARRISON — Dwight “Pete” Loring Tripp, Jr., 76, of Harrison died Monday, June 11, 2012 at the Hospice House in Auburn. He was born in New Gloucester on his great-grandfather Will’s farm, the son of Dwight, Sr. and Marion Dunlap Tripp. Soon after birth Will nicknamed Dwight, Jr., “Pete.” Most of the family knew him as Pete and he conducted much of his business under the name of Pete Tripp. He attended schools in Auburn and was active in football; he later studied banking at Harvard and Purdue Universities. He was married to Janice Thurlow and they shared two daughters, Linda and Cheryl. He later married Dorothy Thomas and had a daughter, Henrietta.

During the early years he was a dairy farmer and ran a logging operation. He was involved in horse pulling at Maine fairs. For a short time he worked for the Maine Turnpike Authority. In 1963 he started a registered Holstein dairy operation that was known as Trippcrest Farm, which he dispersed in 1987. After dispersing his excellent herd of Holsteins he wanted to see if he could raise top-notch Percheron horses. He married Jane Gray on December 31, 2004. He and Jane proved that they could with a number of home bred All American nominee Percherons, capping it in 2011 with a reserve All American three year old mare. One of their hitches of mares won the Supreme Percheron Six Mare Hitch in 2010 at the World Percheron Congress in Des Moines, IA. In January 2012 the mares were reserve Champions in the North American Six Horse Hitch Classic Series at the National Western Stock Show in Denver, CO. He was active in many organizations.

He served as a selectman and tax assessor for the Town of Minot for 29 years as well as serving on the budget committee and the building committee for the first addition to Minot Consolidated School. He was President of the Pine Tree Dairy Herd Improvement Association and a national director of the National Dairy Herd Improvement Association. He was a member of the Agway Council and served as chairman of the Auburn Agway Committee. He served as director and chairman of the board for Springfield (MA) Bank of Cooperatives. He was appointed by President Jimmy Carter to the Federal Farm Credit Board, representing New England, New Jersey and New York, and during his two four-year terms was president of the board. He was a director of the Pine Tree Holstein Association. He was president of the Oxford County Fair for 10 years and a past president of the Maine Association of Agricultural Fairs. He was a director of Patrons and Oxford Insurance Co. and past Master of the Minot Center Grange and Androscoggin Pomona Grange. He was also a trustee of the Minot Center Congregational Church. He was a well-known auctioneer all over New England. He provided horse drawn sleigh rides at the farm and hay rides at the Auburn Mall at Christmas time.

Mr. Tripp is survived by his wife, of Harrison; his children, Linda Cookson and husband Kimble, Cheryl Caron and husband Jimmy and Henrietta Hines and husband Richard; grandchildren, Abram Cookson and wife Christie, Jesse Cookson and wife Melanie, Michelle Caron, Andrew Caron, Rachel Caron, Gabrielle Caron, Abigail Deschaine and husband Michael, Joseph Caron, Dorothy Morris, Danielle Eskuri and Deidre Hines; eight great-grandchildren; a sister, Edith Berry; stepchildren, Sally Allen, Joel Gray and Daniel Gray and wife Jody and step-grandchildren, Abby Winslow, Kayla Gray, Zachary Gray, Seth Allen, Megan Gray and Elizabeth Gray. He was predeceased by his parents; granddaughter, Jennifer Cookson; great-granddaughter, Lydia Cookson; brothers-in-law, Edwin Berry and Robert Bowen and grandson-in-law, Steven Eskuri.

Family and friends attended visitation on Wednesday evening at Chandler Funeral Homes & Cremation Service, 45 Main St., South Paris. A celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, June 16 at 2 p.m. at the Masonic Hall on Route 117 in Bridgton. Donations in his memory can be made to the 2014 World Percheron Congress, P O Box 141, Fredericktown, OH 43019. On-line condolences may be shared with his family at www.chandlerfunerals.com.