Virginia Mary Cecilia Arata Lipari, aka Mom-Mom, was born in Passaic, N.J., on July 10, 1935, to John and Angela Arata of Vineland, N.J. She passed away peacefully, at the age of 88, on Tuesday, October 31, surrounded by her loving family.
She leaves a legacy of love behind. She is survived by her three children, Donna Grossman (Stephen) of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Beth Lipari-Bruno (Andrew) of Los Angeles, Calif., and Joe Lipari, Jr. (Betsy) of Lafayette, N.J. She has six adoring grandchildren, Ben, Max, Joe, Emily, Isabella and Myles, and one great-grandchild, Raelynn, as well as her adoring siblings, Angela Kords (John), Carol Dalessandro (Bunky), Elizabeth Lipari, and her sister-inlaw, Deanna Arata.
Virginia was predeceased by her parents, John and Angela Arata, and her loving brother, Jack Arata.
She was a card shark and showed no mercy even if you were 2 years old. If she won, she won. A competitive spirit from when she was a basketball phenom in high school. Ginna was a great conversationalist. She had a love of music and passed on that love to her children and grandchildren by playing piano, daily, in the house. Her favorite piece was Debussy’s “Clair De Lune.”
Ginna enjoyed walking two miles a day until her 80s, and she left many who were younger in her dust. She worked in Westfield, N.J., as a medical secretary at an ENT office for close to 30 years. Loved by everyone who crossed her path, Ginna, at her core, was an empath. A happy soul with a beautiful smile that was always ready and contagious. Strong willed. Supreme caretaker. She was a voracious reader and a needlepoint extraordinaire. A wine connoisseur who loved being around a kitchen table eating and talking about the day’s events, but most of all, she loved ice cream, because it was easy to eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Ginna was sassy and savvy, an incredible woman who at her core was a giver. She is now reunited in heaven with her loving husband, Joseph John Lipari. May her soul rest in eternity and may she be surrounded by angels, as she was an angel to so many here on Earth.
In lieu of flowers, we are asking that all donations go to Trustbridge Hospice of Palm Beach County, In Memory of Virginia Lipari.
A Celebration of Life was held in Florida on Saturday, November 4, at Old Palm Clubhouse in Old Palm. A second Celebration of Life will be held in Westfield, N.J., in January. Service details will be announced upon confirmation. Please check the website for updated service information.
For online condolences, please visit www.taylorandmodeen.com.
November 9, 2023
