Marie Terese Chiappetta

Marie T. Chiappetta, 87, of Hamilton, New Jersey, passed away peacefully on Friday, February 13, 2026, at Serenity Hospice Care in Hamilton, surrounded by her loving family. Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Marie lived in Jersey City, New Jersey, and Levittown, Pennsylvania, before making her home in Hamilton. In 1970, she married Raffaele Chiappetta and embraced the role of devoted wife and loving stepmother to his children with grace and warmth.

Marie cherished her proud Irish heritage and found joy in simple pleasures: she was an avid reader, loved traveling with her husband and their cruising group, and delighted in caring for others. Known for her deep empathy, she generously supported those in need through donations to numerous charities and causes. Above all, her greatest happiness came from nurturing her family. She treasured her time as “Mommom’s Preschool,” for her grandchildren and being a constant, loving presence as they grew.

Daughter of the late Daniel and Kathryn Lenihan, Marie was predeceased by her beloved husband of 47 years, Raffaele A. Chiappetta; her son, Raphaele C. Chiappetta; her brother, Joseph Lenihan; and her grandson, Kevin Caley “KC” Meara.

She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Kathleen and John M. Macciocca, and Maryann and Kevin J. Meara; her grandchildren, Killian Meara and his wife Kaitlyn, Kelly Rose Ziegler and her husband Mike, Melissa Johnson and her husband John, and Jonathan Macciocca and his wife Rubina; her eight great-grandchildren, Caley Ray Ziegler, Fiadh Rose Meara, Thomas Meisner, Jayden Meisner, John-John Johnson, Jaxx Johnson, Zachary Macciocca, and Ariana Macciocca; her brother and sister-in-law, Thomas and June Lenihan; her sister, Kathleen Dawicki; and many cherished nieces and nephews.

The family extends special thanks to their wonderful neighbors Paul and Kathy Paulowsky, and to Marie’s devoted personal driver and niece, Alice Chiappetta. They are deeply grateful to the compassionate teams at Capital Regional Health, RWJ Hamilton, Accela Acute Care (especially Kelli and her staff), and Serenity Hospice (especially Sam and her team) for their kind and attentive end-of-life care.

A viewing will be held on Monday, February 23, 2026, from 8:45 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. at Peppler Funeral Home, 114 S. Main St., Allentown, NJ. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10:30 a.m. at St. Raphael’s Church in Hamilton. Interment will take place afterward at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Hamilton.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Marie’s name to St Jude Children's Research Hospital (www.stjude.org) a cause close to her heart.

Marie’s legacy of love, generosity, and family devotion will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.