Sharon Trippe's Memory Donations
Sharon Tidmore Trippe
Sharon (Tootsie) was a light upon the face of the earth. Nothing mattered more to her than her family and animals. Sharon passed away on Tuesday, August 29, 2017 in Pensacola, FL.
She was born on May 30, 1968, grew up in Hokes Bluff, AL, and graduated from Hokes Bluff High School in 1986. But she had bigger wings.
She met the love of her life, Clark Trippe, at Tyson’s foods processing plant. Their first date was filled with music, fun, and pizza in Southside, Birmingham, AL on Thursday, July 13, 1989; it ended with Clark borrowing gas money from Sharon to get them home.
They eloped to Gatlinburg, TN on February 22, 1991 (222). Their elopement, which thrilled and appalled some of their family, coincided with Valentine's Day. Every year they could manage it, she and Clark would return there to celebrate their union, which lasted nearly 30 years.
Sharon and Clark forged a life of their own. Sharon – who had the greenest thumb on the face of the earth – and Clark (who can fix anything known to mankind), set out for the emerald coast of Santa Rosa Beach, FL. Sharon launched a company that provided plant services for many resorts and restaurants in the vacation area that she and Clark chose for their adopted home.
Her love for animals was immense. Over the course of her adult life, her animal friends included cats, dogs big and small, and snakes. She did not like birds. At the end of her life, her animal companions were Jack (her chihuahua), Timmy Tebow (their tenacious terrier), and Meow (her black cat).
Sharon, who grew up landlocked, developed a particular passion for sea life, which became a major theme for her tattoos and her jewelry. She and Clark embraced the salt of their adopted home. Nearly every evening, the two would drive down to the beach to watch the sunset. Her sunset pictures from Grayton Beach became the computer desktop backgrounds for several people.
Sharon's passion for animals and sea life was matched only by her love of family. She constantly shed her beautiful light on Clark, Judy, Byron, Kay, Todd, Amy – and not just her immediate family, but their kids and their kids' kids and anyone tangentially related.
We are sorry to lose Sharon's light on this plane, but look forward to meeting again.
