Collette Tripodi (née) Turrisi, 94, of Pelham, New York, died June 30, 2023 in Lubbock, Texas. She was predeceased by her husband Paul, and her sisters, Rita Mace of Michigan and Elvera Adkins of Georgia. She is survived by her daughters, Wendy Tripodi and her husband John Wasnick, Meryl Tripodi and her husband Frank Valacak; grandchildren Christina Bellettini and Julie Romley; her sisters, Johanna Scrivo and Marion Rifelli, and her great grand children, Siena, Stella and Luca.

Born in New York, Collette attended Evander Childs High School in the Bronx. She then enrolled and graduated from the Mont Vernon Hospital Nursing School and Iona College. Collette became an operating room nurse, with a career that spanned 40 years, practicing at Mount Vernon Hospital and Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, New York.

Collette and her husband Paul were avid travelers, even after her husband became ill. They both had an adventurous spirit and wanted to see the world. Collette spoke several languages, including Italian, French and German. She was always trying to improve herself and enjoyed reading and learning new things.

Collette was an enthusiastic supporter of Broadway productions and was lucky enough to see all of greatest musicals during their first run. She never threw out a playbill and we found many with autographs from well known stars. A favorite was Ethel Merman’s on her play bill from Gypsy. Her love of the theater continued throughout her lifetime.

Collette had many lifelong friends, and in her retirement years forged new friendships as a member of Pelham’s Manor Club. As her friends know, she loved to go out to dinner, preferably Italian. She was an exceptional cook in her heyday. She said that she never liked her mother’s cooking and instead became a devotee of Julia Child in the 1960s. She passed on her cooking knowledge to her two daughters, who take great pride in their culinary skills.

Lastly, Collette had a wonderful sense of humor. She made us laugh all the time. We miss her every day and hopefully, will see her again.

Editor’s note: This obituary was provided by the family.