Rose Mary T. Piper

Rose Mary T. Piper, 84, of Bonita Springs, FL, died Tuesday, January 26, 2016. Formerly of Winchester, MA, she had been a Bonita Springs resident for the last two years. She was born May 31, 1931 in Staten Island, NY, the daughter of Edward Joseph and Rosalie Marie (née Garrigan) Smith. Rose Mary grew up in a warm, loving, Irish Catholic family in the close knit community of Staten Island. While her immediate family consisted of just three siblings and her parents, the Smith family, and Rose Mary in particular, had a large extended family and many friends that were considered family. After meeting her husband, Bill, on a cruise to Bermuda, she joined him in Wilmington, DE after their 1954 marriage. Rose Mary continued the Smith tradition in her new home, and she always welcomed family, friends and newcomers to her dinner table. She was an amazing Mother, an incomparable Aunt, a devoted friend, and a second Mother to many. Her network of “family” grew with each passing year and included long term friendships from Staten Island, Wilmington (Hockessin), Hilton Head, Winchester and Bonita Springs. Many people feel lucky to have gathered around Rosie’s Thanksgiving table. Rose Mary’s sense of family and warmth extended to her many charitable endeavors. She was an active member in her parishes in Hockessin, Hilton Head, and Winchester. She was a committed participant in charities that are too numerous to list but included The Pregnancy Center of the Low Country in Hilton Head and Meals on Wheels in Wilmington. Rose Mary felt very passionately about her (and everyone’s) duty to help others who are less fortunate, and there are many who experienced her love through one of her homemade meals delivered to their door. Rose Mary is survived by her loving children, Mary Elizabeth (Peter) Borre of Bonita Springs, FL, David Howell (Lauren) Piper of Thousand Oaks, CA, Claudia Gibson Piper of Winchester, MA, and her daughter-in-law, Leslie Piper; and five cherished grandchildren, Marina, Julia, Abigail, Henry and Cullen. She is also survived by her nephews Neil & Sean Desmond, and her niece Lillian Smith Principato. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William Howell Piper, in 2012, and the younger of her two sons, Edward “Ned” Smith Piper, in 2008. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Saturday, February 20, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Eulalia Catholic Church in Winchester, MA. She will be laid to rest with her husband at the Massachusetts National Cemetery in Bourne. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Pregnancy Center of the Low Country, www.pregnancycenterhhi.org or to Hope Hospice, www.hopehospice.org. Arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home.

Rose Mary T. Piper

May 31, 1931 - January 26, 2016