GWINN — Tracey A. Tippett was honored Saturday night at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5670 in Gwinn as the Marquette County Veteran of the Year for 2021.

She is the first woman to receive the honor.

“I am truly humbled, very appreciative and extremely honored to be receiving this award tonight,” Tippett said. “And I look out, and I see so many other deserving veterans of this award as well.

“As a veteran, we don’t do what we do for awards, for our pictures in the paper, for the accolades or for our names in blinking lights. We do it because we care. We have a passion for helping our fellow veterans in Marquette County and in making sure that their benefits they deserve, that their spouses or family members’ needs, are taken care of, and that our veterans are treated with respect, dignity and honor they deserve.”

Tippett, a graduate of Westwood High School, served in the United States Marine Corps from 1987 to 1992, according to information provided by the Marquette County Veterans Alliance. She earned the Good Conduct and National Defense medals along with the Rifle Marksmanship Badge. A life member of the Marine Corps League, Tippett served as vice commandant of Detachment 764, and serves with the Military Order of the Devil Dogs and Marquette County Veterans Alliance. She also is a member American Legion Post 114.

Tippett is secretary of the Marquette County Veterans Affairs Committee, Upper Peninsula Zone vice commandant and Marine Corps League State Department adjutant, and belongs to Northern Wolves Pound 174.

She is the area Toys for Tots coordinator for Lake Superior Detachment 754, MCL, having organized in the 2020 — during the COVID-19 pandemic — efforts that raised over $9,000 and generated from 40 area businesses boxes of toys taken to St. Vincent de Paul and the Salvation Army.

She has helped the Veterans Affairs Department with various projects and volunteers with Veterans Day’s activities, the Jacobetti Home for Veterans, funeral honor and color guards, Christmas parades and county fairs, among other activities.

Tippett has worked for nearly 28 years at TruNorth Federal Credit Union where she is Operations Department supervisor. She also is financial secretary for Trinity Lutheran Church.

Tippett, who is the daughter of Norman and Mary Johnson of Ishpeming, lives in Champion with her husband, Bruce.

“Her favorite response to everything I do is, ‘You did what?’ And once she calms down and everything sinks in, she becomes supportive and on board with everything,” Tippett said of her mother.

She also recognized her parents with helping with Toys for Tots.

“They have both helped out when it comes to crunch time with my toy campaign, whether it’s from helping picking up toys or sitting in the garage, marking and counting toys and loading up the trailer and delivering them to the children in need,” Tippett said.

Jim Provost, chairman of the Marquette County Veterans Alliance, said the group first held a Veteran of the Year recognition in 2016, with no ceremony taking place in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

On behalf of state Rep. Sara Cambensy, D-Marquette, who was unable to attend the event, Forsyth Township Supervisor Joe Boogren gave Tippett a special state of Michigan tribute from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, state Sen. Ed McBroom, R-Waucedah Township, and Cambensy for her efforts.

“They are very much attuned to how all of us feel about supporting veterans and the things that veterans’ groups do to make our communities better,” Boogren said.

Tippett also was honored by members of VFW Post 5670.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.