Synonymous with dry cleaning and linens, Tripp Wade’s legacy in Columbus beyond business
The grandson to a family household name that’s synonymous with dry cleaning and linens for decades in Columbus, Tripp Wade had a positive impact on the Chattahoochee Valley that goes beyond business.
Wade unexpectedly died at home Wednesday, family friend and community service colleague Marquette McKnight told the Ledger-Enquirer.
He was 62.
His funeral is scheduled for 2 p.m. Sept 6 at St. Paul United Methodist Church, 2101 Wildwood Ave., according to McMullen Funeral Home.
Dating back to 1939, the Wade Companies have been doing business through four generations. In addition to Wade Cleaners and Wade Linen, the family also owns ColorMac2 screen printing and embroidery, Henri’s Formal Wear and HooahWear military apparel.
According to his LinkedIn page, in addition to being owner of the Wade Companies, he was a board member for the CSC Network, which represents independent rental laundries in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
Wade was the 2006 president for the Rotary Club of Columbus, where he was a member for 32 years. He was a three-year chairman and seven-year board member for MidTown Inc., which works to sustain and enhance the city’s geographic center.
His other community involvement included serving as a board member for the Columbus Sports Council (2007-17) and the Greater Columbus Chamber of Commerce (1994-2000).
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Georgia in 1981, where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.
When the L-E reported in 2015 that the Wade Companies bought ColorMac2 from partners Greg and Lori Auten and Coy Nichols, Wade declined to disclose the purchase price, but he said the combined companies would have annual sales between $5.5-$6 million.
In a promotional article on the Synovus website, Wade explained the key to his business philosophy.
“From the beginning of my career, I learned the value of long-lasting relationships,” he said. “My family has built our business on knowing the value of relationships.”
McKnight, president of Media, Marketing and More, knew Wade through their years of volunteering together on community service projects with Leadership Columbus Alumni, the chamber and Rotary.
“He was very caring about making sure the community he lived in and the community he loved living in was a good place for others as well,” she said. “The things he was involved in were all things that made our community a better place. … He had a full-time job and business and professional career, but it was his work in the community that was sort of the essence of him.”
McKnight choked up as she recalled the friendship they forged despite their political differences.
“It was just an easy relationship between us,” she said. “… He was just a good guy.”
On its Facebook page, MidTown wrote a tribute to Wade: “We are shocked and heartbroken from his sudden passing. Rest in peace, cherished friend.”
The post describes Wade as a generous community leader who supported “dozens of worthy initiatives, projects and organizations, all of which were intended to improve his beloved hometown.
“He was a quintessential family man, proud beyond measure of his lovely wife Alice and three sons, George, Andrew and Wesley. Tripp would find a way to work news of each of them into his conversation, brimming with love as he spoke.
“More than anything, he was all heart, personified often by his distinctive, hearty laugh. He was kind and always nice.”
MidTown plans to dedicate its Oct. 13 Mingle in honor of Wade.
This story was originally published September 1, 2022 at 4:07 PM.
