Remembering Former Mayor Wendell Tripp

COOPERSTOWN—Former Village of Cooperstown Mayor Wendell Tripp passed away last week at the age of 95. Tripp served as mayor from 1996-2001 and was a fixture for many years in village government. Current Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh and Jeff Katz and Carol Waller, also former mayors, share their thoughts on his passing:

As mayor, Wendell brought an intelligent and witty approach to all village discussions. I recall one speech he gave at the Fire Hall, probably around 1999, for what was then known as the Annual Inspection Day and Clambake. He lauded the volunteers for their service and extemporized for about 10 minutes about the life of Thomas Jefferson and his service to our nation. I suspected it was the first time that a history lesson on Thomas Jefferson had ever been delivered at the fire hall.

He also brought his wit to the writing of the “Village Voices,” which 23 years ago tended to be one page, and very different from today’s “Village Voices.” With regard to a noise ordinance proposed in 2000, he uses lines like: “The Board does not pass local laws whimsically.” The noise ordinance never even came up for a board vote, and Wendell opined, “Many considered this as still another triumph of the American system of Free Enterprise.” And apropos of the police enforcing a noise ordinance, he wrote, “You don’t have to show them a shriveled eardrum.”

Wendell’s involvement in local government continued after his mayoral service. He served on the Historic Preservation and Architectural Review Board for several years. I always enjoyed discussing issues with him and appreciated his thoughtful insights. His passing is a loss for our village.

Cooperstown Mayor Ellen Tillapaugh

I was sad to see the news about Wendell Tripp. From our very first conversation in 2005, when I ran for trustee, I always found Wendell an enjoyable source of information. There were many conversations had outside the post office. He was very important to my education about Cooperstown and its past politics.

Wendell used to tell a funny story, often in public. He’d say “I used to say that nobody moved to Cooperstown just for baseball….then I met Jeff Katz.” I think he couldn’t quite believe that Karen and I picked up our family and moved to Cooperstown because of the Hall of Fame. I was always glad to provide him with that laugh.

He’ll be missed.

Jeff Katz
Mayor, retired, Village of Cooperstown
2012-2018

I had the privilege of working with Wendell Tripp as a village trustee and four years as deputy mayor.

Wendell was kind, a wonderful teacher and a dynamic force leading the village. Wendell took detailed notes and could refer to past meetings with complete recollection. He was an inspiration and asked me to run for mayor, a big step, as Cooperstown never had a woman mayor.

I tried to follow his example in providing leadership that was based on what was best for the village. As mayor, I sought his counsel often and he took an avid interest in the ongoings of the village.

I will miss Wendell, his intelligence, his knowledge of history and, of course, his notes.

Carol Waller
Mayor, retired, Village of Cooperstown
2000-2008