Obituary: Jeanne Casey DiPrete

Jeanne Casey DiPrete, 90, died at home in Cranston RI on October 17, 2012 after a long illness.

Jeanne Casey DiPrete was born on June 2, 1922 to Edward Casey and Elizabeth Bradley.  She was the sister of Peggy Gaskill and Ann Morgan and grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.  She graduated from Loretto Academy in 1940, studied at Harris Junior College in St. Louis, and then worked for the Monsanto Corporation both in St. Louis and New York.  While in St. Louis, she met the late Albert DiPrete while he was studying dentistry at St. Louis University.  They were married on October 18, 1947 and subsequently moved to RI, where her husband practiced dentistry for about 45 years.  Aside from an 18 month period in 1953 and 1954 when she returned to St. Louis while her husband served in the army during the Korean War, she lived in Rhode Island with her family for the remainder of her life.

While her youngest son was in grade school, Jeanne returned to college, obtained her B.A. from the University of Rhode Island in Human Sciences and Services in 1975 and then obtained a M.S. from URI in business education.  She was then hired as a teacher in the Prout Memorial High School in Wakefield RI where she taught for about ten years until her retirement.

Jeanne DiPrete was a parishioner at St. Joseph’s Church until 1956, when she joined St. Mary’s parish.  She served St. Mary’s in many capacities including co-chairing (with her husband Albert) the parish’s annual reunion dinner dance in 1963.  For the past thirty years, she was a member of Immaculate Conception parish, where she served as an usher and a participant in various social ministries sponsored by the parish.

While maintaining her principal residence in Cranston, Jeanne enjoyed a second home in Bonnet Shores for thirty-five years, where she was an avid gardener as well as a member of the Bonnet Shores Beach Club. Jeanne was a member of numerous bowling leagues, and she golfed for decades with women’s leagues from the Bonnet Shores Fire District.

Jeanne DiPrete was the mother of the late Albert DiPrete Jr.  She is survived by her daughters Janet Spinelli and Joan Harmon, her sons Thomas, Richard, and David, and thirteen grandchildren.

Funeral from the NARDOLILLO FUNERAL HOME & Crematory, 1278 Park Ave., Cranston on Saturday at 9 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in Immaculate Conception Church, Cranston at 10 a.m.  Interment will be at St. Ann Cemetery, Cranston.  VISITING HOURS are FRIDAY from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to: Immaculate Conception Church, 237 Garden Hills Dr., Cranston RI 02920.