Joseph Tripi II, senior vice president at Tripifoods Inc., died suddenly Jan. 4. Tripi, well known in the food distribution industry, is part of the family that started Tripifoods in 1911. Through four generations of family ownership, the company has become a recognized leader in the convenience-store distribution industry.
Tripi, 54, joined the family business in 1982 and graduated from Nazareth College with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1991.
He is survived by his wife Jill (Lummel) Tripi; and children Emily, AJ and Joseph Tripi III; mother Patricia Mussat; and siblings Karen Tebbs, Jane Huynh, Gregory Tripi, Nanette Luczak and Terry Tripi.
Friends will gather from 2-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, at Lakeside Memorial Funeral Home, Hamburg, N.Y., to pay respects. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 12, at Nativity of Our Lord Church, Orchard Park, N.Y.
“In spite of his young age, Joe was old school,” said Mitch Morrison, CSP’s vice president of retailer relations. “Joe’s handshake was his word, and extraordinary customer service was his bond. He was an incredibly ethical and kind person who was dedicated to the Greater Buffalo community. His passing is a tremendous loss to the c-store community.”
Tripi was names to the Hall of Fame of the New York Association of Convenience Stores (NYACS) in 2003.
“Throughout our sometimes rough-and-tumble industry, Joe was admired for his gentle spirit and gentlemanly demeanor,” said Jim Calvin, retired president of NYACS. “He was deeply devoted to his family, his customers, and the convenience-store trade as a whole.”
Located in Buffalo, New York, Tripifoods operates a 250,000-square-foot distribution center serving 18 states with a fleet of modern delivery vehicles and satellite tracking technology.
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