Lebanon, NH – Theresa Edna Higgins Tripp, 94, born August 7, 1925 in Charleston, Maine a daughter of Lawrence E. Higgins, Sr. and Geneva Sofine Farmer Higgins died in her sleep April 13, 2020 at Cedar Hill Nursing Home in Windsor, VT.

The second child in a large family of 16 children, she was raised on a farm, educated in public schools and graduated from Higgins Classical Institute with class honors in 1944. She attended Faulkner Hospital School of Nursing in Jamaica Plains, MA from 1945-1948, graduated with honors and received her Registered Nurse's degree in California later that year.

On October 12, 1947 she married William E. Tripp, Jr., son of Lillian Adelaid Shepley Tripp and William Tripp, Sr. of National City, CA. After completing her nursing study, they moved to Fort Collins, CO where her husband attended college and graduated with a degree in Animal Husbandry and later became a physical therapist, graduating from Loma Linda University.

They had four children: William "Larry" born in 1948 in Fort Collins, CO, David born in 1951 in San Diego, CA, and Stephen born in 1954 in Hanover, NH, Terri Lynn born in 1959 in Hanover, NH. Their eldest son died in 1990 in a boating accident leaving a wife and daughter.

While living in Enfield, NH she and her husband owned and operated a nursing home for 14 years until a back injury forced her to change occupations. They later opened their home to foster children and had a licensed home for several years until she returned to nursing at Alice Peck Day Hospital in Lebanon, NH. She retired from her nursing career as Operating Room Supervisor in 1975. Her husband retired from the VA Hospital as a registered Physical Therapist. They made their home on Mascoma Lake in Lebanon, NH for over fifty years.

They enjoyed traveling, family, camping and gardening which she continued to do each year after her husband's death in 2001.

She is survived by her children and spouses: David and Cindy of Schertz, TX, Stephen and Linda of Lebanon, NH, Terri & Rick Jimenez of Ashby, MA; foster daughters Kathy Truman of Lebanon, NH, Pauline Blair of Rosemead, CA; 11 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren; 3 brothers: Frances, Arthur and Lawrence; and 3 sisters: Marjorie, Alice and Myra, all living in Maine.  she also leaves nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.

Theresa was a faithful member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, baptized in 1941 at North Park Church in California, moved to NH in 1951 where she joined the West Lebanon (now Plainfield) SDA Church.

At her request there will be no services.

Condolences to Theresa's family may be made in an online guestbook at knightfuneralhomes.com.