Mary Joan Piper

Mary Joan Piper

The family of Mary Piper is deeply saddened to announce her passing on June 8, 2026. Born on March 27, 1933, in the back seat of a Model A, Mary touched the hearts of everyone she met through her laughter, kindness, smiles, and intelligence.

Mary was raised in St. Paul, Minnesota, by her beloved mother, Hannah Dahlstrom, an immigrant from Sweden, and her father, Victor, who also hailed from Dalarna, Sweden. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Minnesota in 1955.

After college, she moved to Seattle and began working as a medical technician, a career she continued for 20 years. During this time, she met the love of her life, Earl Piper, at the Swedish Baptist Church. She later followed him to the California desert when he accepted a position as an aerospace engineer at the Naval Weapons Center, bringing her two young children with them. There, she worked on the base as a math aide before returning to college to earn a degree in Computer Science. She then worked for the Department of Defense on various weapons systems for more than 20 years, retiring as a Computer Scientist before returning to Seattle.

Mary will be lovingly remembered by her daughters, Christine Piper and Karen Piper; her son-in-law, Mike Frederickson; her grandchildren, Jon, Christopher, and Ash; her niece, Linda Dahlstrom, and her family; and many other relatives and friends.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Earl Piper.

A memorial service will be held at Holland & Lyons Mortuary in Ridgecrest, California, on July 18, 2026, at 1:00 p.m.