William Alfred Tripoli

William A. “Bill” Tripoli passed away on March 31, 2024, at age 82, surrounded by his loving family at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. He is survived by his cherished wife Joylyn Panicola Tripoli; sister Carolyn Tripoli Van Dyck (John); daughter Michelle Tripoli Dixon (Paul) and grandchildren Christian, Gilliane, and Eliza; son William C. Tripoli (Ashlee); stepson John Panicola (Laura), stepdaughters Michelle Panicola (Sue Heggeland) and Denise Panicola Manion (Matt); step-grandkids Stefani, Brittany (Peter), Patrick, Ryan, and Katie; step great grandkids Levi and Rylynn. He was pre-deceased by his wife Dyane Desporte Tripoli and stepson Michael Panicola. He will also be missed by his all-too-numerous friends and associates in the auto, racing, and business communities that he carried with him throughout his life.

 
Bill was born November 23, 1941, in New Orleans, and grew up on French Street off Canal Boulevard. He attended Jesuit High School, and then LSUNO, where he majored in and earned a Masters in History. He first taught history at John McDonogh 28 school in New Orleans until 1968, then changed career paths to fully pursue a life in the auto industry and stock car racing, which had been his passions (to the dismay of his parents) since he was 15. He worked at Ford Motor Company from 1968-1979, then became the proud owner of a Midas franchise from 1980-2005, along with other ventures through the 1980’s and 1990’s. Residing in Metairie until 2005, Bill relocated to Abita Springs after Hurricane Katrina. There, after selling his Midas franchise, he founded a new venture in 2006, 454 Dyno LLC; and, in 2009, Jefferson Auto Service North in Covington, where he worked until his final days. Bill was an active member for years in the BNI Louisiana group, and a regular at the Star Fitness gym as well as at the Abita Brew Pub. He was known affectionately as “Mr. Bill” wherever he went.

Bill’s life passion was racing, and his signature 1967 Ford Fairlane became a staple at stock car rallies throughout the South. His status on the track was legendary, and inspired multiple generations of car and racing aficionados to pursue their dreams. His last race was in 2022 at Gulfport, MS, where, at the age of 81, he drove the quarter-mile track for the last time in his Fairlane in 6.40 seconds at 111 mph. Now named “Bill Tripoli’s Gumbo,” the car is extending Bill’s racing legacy, and under its new owner will remain in its iconic state, as it has since the 1970’s.

After he was diagnosed with melanoma in 2014, Bill volunteered for a number of innovative and experimental treatments, one of which proved remarkably effective, and greatly expanded the field of cancer research, and garnered a television interview with WAFB in 2019. His relentlessly optimistic outlook and refusal to succumb to the disease defied all expectations and allowed him to live another 10 years when initially given only 6 months.

In lieu of flowers, donations are highly encouraged to the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center and/or St. Tammany Hospital Foundation.
Family and friends are invited to attend the Memorial Funeral Service, at 1:00 pm, on Monday, April 15, 2024, at Greenwood funeral Home, 5200 Canal Blvd., New Orleans, LA 70124. Visitation will begin at 11:00 am, and will continue until Service time. Condolences may be expressed at www.greenwoodfh.com
Following the burial, there will be a Celebration of Life for family and friends in Abita Springs, LA.