SOUTH DARTMOUTH — Thomas Tripp Cary, of South Dartmouth, died on January 22, 2013. He was 88 years old.
Mr. Cary was born in Fairhaven, the son of Floyd Francis Cary and Anna Tripp Cary. He graduated from the Moses Brown School before enlisting in the Army in 1943. During his military service, Mr. Cary was assigned to the Army's 11th Armored Division, which landed on the beaches of Normandy just days after the initial invasion. His division was later deployed to Belgium, where he was part of a tank battalion assigned to attack the advancing German forces during the Battle of the Bulge. Mr. Cary received commendations for bravery and sacrifice, including the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star. Despite these acknowledgments for valor, Mr. Cary dismissed his own military service and was humbled by those who gave their lives for their country.
Following his discharge from the Army, Mr. Cary attended Brown University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He then began a sales career with Aerovox, an electronics manufacturer in New Bedford, MA. He later retired from Gerber Sales, an electronics distributor headquartered in Needham, MA.
Mr. Cary shared stories with his grown children and grandchildren about the war, particularly the time his battalion was ordered to investigate Mauthausen, one of the Nazi's largest internment camps. The 11th Armored Division is recognized as the liberating unit by the U.S. Army's Center of Military History and the U.S. Holocaust Museum.
Mr. Cary was an avid reader, particularly of American history and the founding fathers. He spent many delightful hours on the golf course with life-long friends whose friendships he treasured. In his later years, Mr. Cary enjoyed walks on the beach with his daughters and their four-legged companions. Inevitably, at some point on these walks, a gaggle of Canadian geese would fly overhead; he would always let out a shout of joy and gratitude at the sight and sound.
Mr. Cary is survived by his daughters, Sarah Cary Lemelin and her husband Michael; and Martha Cary Shuster and her husband Steven, both of South Dartmouth; his son, Peter Gifford Cary and his wife Maureen of Wellesley, MA; eight grandchildren, John Cary Shuster and his wife Whitney of South Natick, MA. and Molly Swift Shuster of Boston; Sarah Ross Lemelin of Woodland Hills, CA. and Anne Cary Lemelin of New Orleans, LA; Andrew Francis, Grace Montgomery, Claire Haddorff and Samuel Tripp Cary of Wellesley, MA; one great-grandchild, Maxwell Atticus Shuster of South Natick, MA.; and a sister, Constance Cary Howland of South Dartmouth.
Mr. Cary was predeceased by his wife, Joan Howard Cary and two sisters, Janet Cary Sipp and Barbara Cary Ferguson.
A Memorial Service will be held at the Congregational Church, 17 Middle Street, South Dartmouth, MA at 11:00 Saturday, February 2nd. Interment at the Padanaram Cemetery will precede the service at 10:00. The cemetery is located on Elm Street in South Dartmouth.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517 Topeka, Kansas 66675 or online at www.woundedwarriorproject.org, or to the Dartmouth Natural Resources Trust, 404 Elm Street, South Dartmouth, MA 02748.