Jane Astorino Rippy, the mother of Msgr. Robert J. Rippy, diocesan judicial vicar, died Aug. 30 at the age of 98.
She was born July 5, 1927, in Punxsutawney, Pa., where the groundhog made her town famous. She was the second oldest in an Italian family of two boys and four girls, and she outlived all her siblings.
After graduating from high school, she moved to the Washington area for a job. She was working at an insurance company when she met Robert Rippy, a U.S. Marine assigned to Quantico. They married in 1950 and moved to Camp Lejune, N.C., with the military.
Their only child, Msgr. Rippy, was born in Cherry Point, N.C., in 1958. Jane would take her son with her to daily Mass, something Msgr. Rippy said nurtured his future vocation as a priest. The family moved back to the Washington area after Robert retired in 1965.
Jane had a long career as an administrative assistant with the federal government in Washington. She retired in 1994 to care for her husband who had developed health issues. After his death in 1995, Jane worked part-time in various administrative positions for private companies.
After retirement, she again began attending daily Mass. She belonged to St. Rita Church in Alexandria and would attend daily Mass at Blessed Sacrament Church in Alexandria as well. She had a great devotion to St. Joseph, patron saint of a happy death, and Msgr. Rippy said hers was “quick and peaceful.”
“Being Italian, she could be stubborn and was not shy about expressing her opinion on any subject,” he said. “She also was devoted to St. Therese of the Little Flower, her confirmation saint.”
Jane was often seen at special Masses or events with her son and her pride in him was very evident.
A Mass of Christian Burial was scheduled for Sept. 10 at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington at 10:30 a.m. with burial to follow at Quantico National Cemetery.
