Obituary of Virginia Mae Ciocci Tripp

Virginia Ciocci was born in Canandaigua, NY on May 4, 1930. She was the daughter of Marguerite (Sant Angelo) and Dominic Ciocci and the youngest of four children Edward, James and Margaret. She was grateful to have many nieces and nephews that celebrated her 94th birthday on Loon Lake. Virginia attended St. Mary’s Parochial School and Canandaigua Academy where she flourished in piano, band and dance. Due to rationing during the Second World War it was necessary for her to forgo her beloved dance lessons. With the guidance of her mother she attended Nazareth College of Rochester, NY receiving a Bachelor of Science in 1952 and Master of Science in 1960 in music education. Her first teaching assignment was in Troupsburg, NY. In 1954 Mr. Fisher hired her to be music director in Cohocton, NY. There she met Larry Dunn the physical education director and his wonderful wife Jo developing a lifelong friendship. They were responsible for introducing Virginia to her future husband at their home on Park Avenue. On August 27, 1960 four hundred guests gathered at St. Mary’s to witness her marriage to Ellsworth Tripp followed by a grand march down Main Street to the Canandaigua Inn. That autumn, as Larry Dunn became principal, Ellsie became the physical education director and the legacy of Coach and Mrs. Tripp began. Virginia enjoyed directing the Elementary Christmas Operetta along with the Second Grade Assembly, where many of us fell in love with performing. For twenty-five years on the first Sunday of December the annual Candle Light Concert was presented. The band opened the program followed by the elementary chorus wearing large red silk bows holding candles as they entered the stage. The performance concluded with the chorus singing a cantata or Santa’s Sleigh and Reindeer taking flight during ’Twas the Night Before Christmas. Throughout her career she loved taking students to All-County and Area All-State Music and Solo Festivals. Virginia produced, choreographed and was music director of many musicals beginning in 1968 with The Sound of Music, Annie Get Your Gun, No, No, Nanette, Yankee Doodle, Oklahoma, The Music Man, Li’l Abner, Anything Goes, Mame, and Annie. She appreciated the support of many people who helped make these productions a reality from Nancy Nagle’s outstanding costumes to Kathy Jo Burns’ beautiful hats in The Music Man along with the talented accompanists Lucinda Loomis, Miss Rizo and Joyce Eaton and the many music teachers that played in the orchestra conducted by Larry Judd. She even enticed faculty members on stage including her husband and made Joel Shaffer a star in Annie alongside the future superintendent of schools. If that was not enough, Virginia was extremely proud of the marching band and color guard’s growth over the years. She always enjoyed the Memorial Day Parade and the significance it represented. Cornell Band Day, Mansfield’s Homecoming, Fall Foliage, Dogwood Festival, Dairy Parade, Colonial Days and Wayland Firemen’s Parade made for exciting performances. Her dear friend and colleague Merle Flanders convinced her to participate in the Prattsburg Pageant of Bands. The band and color guard won five consecutive years giving her a wonderful send off to retirement. She always appreciated the wonderful bus drivers transporting her talented students to those events especially Linda Wolcott and all she did for the music program. Virginia loved Cohocton from the faculty, staff and many students she taught along with the tremendous community and parental support she received making it her home. She was a communicant of St. Pius Church, member of the New York State Retired Teachers’ Association, American University of Women and Delta Kappa Gamma. She loved substituting throughout Steuben County for ten years after her retirement in 1985. For many decades Virginia and Ellsie enjoyed their time on Loon Lake with Tom, Wendy, Murray, Ian and their many dogs along with family and friends. During their retirement they took many trips around North America and Europe. One of her most moving experiences was seeing her father’s homeland of Italy. She will be greatly missed by her sons Thomas Edward from Rochester and Murray James from Boston. Not only did Virginia enjoy visiting and traveling with them, but also loved the cultural and educational stimulation and attitudes of the people she encountered. Virginia was born only ten years after the ratification of the 19th amendment. She and Vivian Hirsch of Addison were the only women band directors in Steuben County during their tenure bringing students together from different backgrounds for the greater good. Virginia’s funeral mass will be on December 12, 2024 at St. Mary’s Church, 95 North Main Street, Canandaigua, NY at 2:00 PM followed by interment with her family at Calvary Cemetery, 115 Clark Street. All are welcomed for repast celebrating her life at New York Kitchen in the Sands Gallery, 800 South Main Street, Canandaigua, NY. In lieu of cards and flowers donations may be made to the Cohocton Public Library for Virginia’s Fund for Learning, 8 Maple Avenue, Cohocton, NY 14826 A vehicle procession will meet on Park Avenue in front of the Cohocton School departing December 12, at 12:30 PM for Canandaigua.