As all in the Rensselaer community are painfully aware, Anson Tripp ’00 tragically ended his life here on campus on March 29. Sadly, many will remember Anson for the turmoil of that day, but for those that were lucky enough to know him, he will be remembered for his dedication to friends and fraternity, and for his service to the community.
Tripp pledged to the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Alpha Phi Omega National Service Fraternity during the first semester of his freshman year in the fall of 1996. The fraternity first encountered him during the Student Orientation period just before classes started. Anson was a participant in the Freshman Trivia Contest that Alpha Phi Omega ran. He was remembered for responding to a question, but stopping himself to ask how many “sig-figs” were required for the answer (he was prepared to give several more than we had). Although it may have been considered “quirky,” it really belied the kind of attention to detail that Anson would exhibit during his college career. He was an active member of the fraternity for each of his four undergraduate years, lending his skills to many projects, including managing the office where many of Alpha Phi Omega campus services are provided.
Tripp graduated in 2000 with degrees in computer science and mathematics and worked for two years as a computer programming specialist for IBM in Austin, Texas, where his workgroup received several patents. He then returned to his native Amherst, Mass., to attend graduate school at the University of Massachusetts campus.
He is survived by his mother Zella Harrington and brothers Peter and Michael Tripp of Amherst, and father Jeffery Tripp of Cockeysville, Md.
Epsilon Zeta will be holding a memorial service for Anson. If you are interested in attending, please e-mail Chapter President David Pettengill at apo@union.rpi.edu for further information. The brothers appreciate the expressions of sympathies and memories of Anson that have been shared with the chapter.
And please, if you find yourself facing depression or despair, don’t forget that you have friends and family that care about you and want to help, and professional services from campus counseling to the National Suicide Prevention Hotline (800-273-TALK) are available.
Editor’s note: This piece was contributed by Peter Caracappa on behalf of the brothers of the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Alpha Phi Omega.
