Catherine P. Thomas

Catherine P. (Gaipa) Thomas, age 93, of Newark, DE, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 23, 2016. Born in the town of Bagheria in Sicily, Italy on September 7, 1922.  Catherine was a daughter of the late Joseph and Anna (D’Amato) Gaipa.  In addition to raising her family, she worked in various clerical positions for a number of local companies and was also a self-employed seamstress. Catherine was a devout Catholic and had a great love for life and the Lord.  She was a longtime parishioner of Holy Family Church in Newark where she enjoyed participating in the church’s prayer and bible study groups and various other activities.  Catherine adored spending time with her family and looked forward to cooking spaghetti dinners every Sunday.  She will be remembered for her great sense of humor and as a loving and devoted mother, sister, grandmother, great grandmother and friend to many. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Charles E. Thomas; brothers, Frank and Tony Gaipa; and sisters, Christine Passarello, Nina Tavolacci and Mary Crimaldi.  Catherine is survived by her son, John Thomas (Anne) of Middletown, DE; brother, Joseph Gaipa; sister, Betty Robinson; grandchildren, Nathan Thomas (Aniek) and Jillian Patterson (Ted); and great grandchildren, Genevieve, John Ross and Theodore August Patterson.  A visitation for family and friends will be held from 12 Noon until 1 pm on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at the Starks and Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, MI.  Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 1:30 pm at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, 220 Church Street, St. Joseph, MI.  Interment will follow in the North Shore Memory Gardens, Coloma, MI.   In lieu of flowers, contributions in Catherine’s memory may be made to the Little Sisters of the Poor, 185 Salem Church Road, Newark, DE 19713 or to a charity of one’s choosing. To sign guest book, visit spicermullikin.com Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Homes & Crematory 302-328-2213