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Carolyn
Sullivan Pieciak, 79, of Brattleboro, Vt., died peacefully on May 20,
2025, surrounded by family and loved ones at the Jack Byrne Center in
Lebanon, N.H., after a yearlong battle with lung cancer.

Born
on December 18, 1945, in Springfield, Mass., Carolyn was the daughter
of the late John R. and Mary S. Sullivan Sr. and grew up with her
older sister, Maureen, and younger brother, Jack, in nearby West
Springfield, Mass.

Carolyn
met the love of her life, Joseph S. Pieciak Jr., in 1962 after being
set up on a blind date by her best friend, Maureen Doody O’Donnell.
Carolyn and Joe married on June 12, 1965, in West Springfield and
began their family shortly thereafter. Their daughter Jennifer was
born in 1970, daughter Elizabeth in 1975, and son Michael in 1983.

Carolyn
and Joe moved to Brattleboro in 1970. They were welcomed to the
Vermont community with open arms and formed a deep love for the town
and its people. Carolyn was not only the heart of the Pieciak family
but also a thoughtful, kind “Mom” to many.

At
a young age, Carolyn was called to serve others, saying, “God
wanted me to work with the poor.” Deeply dedicated, she volunteered
with Habitat for Humanity and Meals on Wheels. She and her husband
served as United Way campaign co-presidents, and when she stepped down
as leader of the Windham County Humane Society, he succeeded her in
the post.

Carolyn’s
biggest life passion was born on St. Patrick’s Day 1982, when she
helped open one of the region’s largest soup kitchens, St. Brigid’s
Kitchen and Pantry of Brattleboro. At the time, Carolyn was head of
the St. Michael’s Catholic Church peace and justice committee, when
the pastor noted a growing number of visitors requesting food.

Carolyn,
working with fellow volunteers, raised money and ordered, obtained
and cooked food at the church’s former convent for four decades
before retiring as director last year. Originally serving a few dozen
people, St. Brigid’s now provides more than 45,000 meals annually.

To
Carolyn, there were no strangers, only friends she hadn’t yet met.
True to her Irish spirit, she built a community with love, laughter
and unshakable loyalty. She had a heart big enough to hold the whole
world and a circle of loved ones that just kept expanding. Whether it
was traveling, spending time on the golf course, enjoying her garden
club or celebrating at a friend’s birthday lunch, Carolyn loved her
friends, and they loved her.

Carolyn
was a lifelong learner of her faith. She attended the Elms College in
Chicopee, Mass., and regularly participated in spiritual retreats
throughout New England. Through these retreats and her ongoing
personal spiritual journey, she sought not only to deepen her
relationship with God but also to grow and improve herself as a
person. Her devotion to nurturing her faith was a cornerstone of her
life, inspiring those around her to do the same.

Carolyn’s
illness never dampened her spirit nor dimmed the light of love in her
eyes. Her family grieves her loss but is comforted knowing she is at
peace and in the arms of God.

Carolyn
leaves behind her husband of nearly 60 years, Joseph S. Pieciak Jr.;
her two daughters, Elizabeth Lawyer and her husband, Travis, of
Brattleboro, and Jennifer Rau of Chicopee, Mass.; her son, Michael
Sullivan Pieciak, and his husband, William Holder, of Winooski, Vt.;
siblings Maureen Sullivan-Iannitelli and her husband, Richard, of the
Villages, Florida, and John R. Sullivan Jr. of Sweetwater, Tenn.; as
well as numerous cousins, niece Megan Perrault and nephew David
Iannitelli, and her pride-and-joy dog, Piper.

Carolyn
was lovingly known as Yaya to her four grandchildren, Nathaniel and
Kelsey Rau and Michaela and Riley Lawyer, and to many honorary
grandchildren, including Jamie Lynn Boudreau and Katie Costello.

Funeral
services will be held on Friday, May 30, 1 p.m., at St. Michael’s
Catholic Church in Brattleboro, with burial immediately following at
St. Michael’s Cemetery. After, a celebration of life reception will
take place at the Brattleboro Retreat Farm’s North Barn — all who
knew Carolyn and the Pieciak family are invited.

Calling
hours will be held on Thursday, May 29, 4 to 7 p.m., at the Atamaniuk
Funeral Home at 40 Terrace St. in Brattleboro. In lieu of flowers,
memorial donations may be made to St. Brigid’s Kitchen and Pantry,
47 Walnut St., Brattleboro, VT 05301.

To
share a memory or offer condolences to Carolyn’s family, please
visit atamaniuk.com.