Patricia Ann Marie (Witty) Lapierre, 61, longtime Haverhill resident, passed Thursday morning at Merrimack Valley Hospice House, Haverhill, surrounded by family.
Born in Fitchburg, Oct. 28, 1953, she was one of nine children of the late Kenyon and Mary (Scanlon) Witty, and was a graduate of Haverhill High School. Lapierre became a dedicated paraprofessional educator, working in the Haverhill School System for many years. She was beloved by students because she treated them with kindness and respect and genuinely cared about their progress. Lapierre was an avid reader and beach-goer, and loved to cook.
In addition to her husband of 41 years, John A. Lapierre of Haverhill, she leaves behind daughters, Angela DeMarco and fiancé Tony of Portsmouth, N.H., and Beth Lapierre of Haverhill; sons, Adam Lapierre and wife Melissa of Derry, N.H., and Colin Lapierre of Saco, ME; grandchildren, Jacqueline, Justin, Matthew, Gregory, Zackery and Natalie; brothers Joseph Witty and wife Deborah, Stephen Witty and companion Debbie, Michael Witty, and Richard Witty and companion Sarah; sisters Mary Jane Jordan and husband George, Susan Maranto and husband Larry, and Nancy Smith and husband Gregory; and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her sister, Ann-Marie.
Visiting hours at the Monument Square Chapel of Paul C. Rogers Family-Carnevale Funeral Home, 334 Main Street, Haverhill, are Wednesday, June 24, from 5 to 7 p.m. A memorial mass will be Thursday, 11 a.m., at St. James Church, Winter Street, Haverhill, followed by burial in St. James Cemetery. Instead of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to the Autism Society, 4340 East-West Hwy, Suite 350, Bethesda MD, 20814, or online at www.autism-society.org.