Marie Frances Tippit, died Tuesday, March 2, 2011. She was 92.
A heroine, known to every officer of the Dallas Police Department and friend to thousands. She was always a gracious spirit and light to us all. rjs
[Above photo from her 24 minute online memorial photo montage]
excerpt from The Dallas Morning News obituary, by Michael Granberry, March 2, 2021
She was the widow of “Dallas police Officer J.D. Tippit, who was shot to death by Lee Harvey Oswald 45 minutes after President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in downtown Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963.
Tippit had been suffering from COVID-19 and other medical issues and died at a hospital near her home in Sulphur Springs, said Rick Janich, a retired Dallas police detective and family friend. The exact cause of death wasn’t immediately clear.
'She really was an ambassador for all the widows—I would call her the matriarch—of all the widows of fallen officers,” Janich said. “You and I have no idea what these ladies and gentlemen go through. They have a special bond. She was always the one who told them, ‘The way to survive this is baby steps. Think of your family. Survive with your family. You will never get over it, but you have to do the best you can for your family.'
When it came to her husband’s death, Janich said, 'She never did get over J.D.’s loss. She always told me that JD truly was the love of her life.” So, it “meant the world to her,” Janich said, to learn, as she did in 2018, that she would be buried next to JD Tippit at Laurel Land Memorial Park in Dallas.'"
~
In June of 2014 I created a tribute poster (2nd version below) of slain Dallas Police Officer JD Tippit, ostensibly to raise funds for a Dallas Police Museum. Unfortunately, in spite of the efforts of many, the museum has yet to be come a reality.
Later that month I 'loaned' the Dallas Police Department a 'metal print' of this poster to be displayed in the police museum. Last I heard the 'metal print' was hanging in the second floor lobby of the Jack Evans Police Headquarters.
As the then curator of the artifacts being collected for the future museum, Sr. Corporal Rick Janich arranged for Mrs. Marie Tippit to meet us at police headquarters to view the 'metal print' and the paper prints of the poster intended for sale.
On July 7, 2014 a copy of the print was given to Mrs. Tippit and she agreed to sign a print for me:
The astute viewer will notice that there are periods after Officer Tippit's initials in the original poster. It wasn't until that day, I realized I had done as many do. Mrs. Tippit, after her enthusiastic response to the poster, quietly pointed out that "JD never used periods after his initials". I told her I would correct that immediately, which I did. (see 2nd version)
The reason for today's blog post, is quite simply, I just learned of Marie Tippit's passing this morning. How I missed hearing about her passing, five months ago, on March 2, 2021, or how I missed being told about it by other retirees--I do not know.
So it is today, that I feel the loss of this gracious woman and friend and wrote this poem in her memory.
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