Deborah Piekut Obituary

Deborah Ann (Berry) Piekut, 69, passed away peacefully at home in Effingham, NH, on the morning of July 4, 2025, after several years of declining health from Alzheimer's Disease.

Debbie was born February 7, 1956, in South Weymouth, MA, to L. Raymond and Priscilla Ann (Deane) Berry, the third of their seven children. She graduated from Weymouth South High School in 1974, going on to study at the Massachusetts School of Barbering and, together with her future husband, to obtain real estate brokers' licenses in 1979. She married William Lee Piekut on June 21, 1980, in South Weymouth.

Bill and Debbie resided in Brockton, MA, until the mid-1980s, when they moved to land in Effingham. There, they designed and built their home together before welcoming two daughters. Over the decades, one of Debbie's favorite pastimes was building stone retaining walls encircling the house and gardens. One of her best-realized dreams was keeping dairy goats for several years.

With many artistic talents, Debbie excelled in machine embroidery and appliqué, creating heirloom pieces for family and friends as well as designing and producing commercial work for Roman Art Embroidery and Fine Art Embroidery of Massachusetts, even after relocating to New Hampshire. When her daughters began school, Debbie joined Chuck Roast Equipment in Conway, NH, as a stitcher until the company's closing. She served a term as an Americorps volunteer with the Wolfeboro Children's Center in 1999, then joined Hannaford in Ossipee, where she spent 20 years serving customers of the deli and bakery. In 2003 and 2020, she also took on positions with the Moultonborough and Ossipee Central Schools as a special education aide. While working full time, she earned an Associate of Arts degree from Granite State College, graduating in 2008.

When her goats and other animals came along, Debbie involved her daughters in 4-H. She also volunteered while they were in Girl Scouts, and during the formative years of a local environmental nonprofit, lent her time and advocacy to the effort.

Debbie loved to read, especially early American history and high fantasy. She was an avid student of astrology-a true Aquarian. Though imaginative and appreciative of beautiful things, she was also content to live simply. She loved children, her large family, and keeping its long New England history alive. A special place for the family was the summer neighborhood of Cromesett Park in Wareham, MA. Debbie relished sharing it with a new generation, including many nieces, nephews, cousins, and longtime family friends. She was grateful to have siblings who loved to make each other laugh; visits with her sisters were guaranteed to include competitive games of Scrabble and spirited singing of show tunes and folk songs. She especially adored her mother and was able to spend many days with her in recent years.

Debbie will be remembered for her creativity and skill-particularly those as remarkable as being able to write backwards and upside-down in cursive (left-handed)-and for her kindness and smile, both of which remained with her to her last days.

Deborah is survived by her mother, Priscilla "Penny" Berry of Ossipee; dedicated husband of 45 years, William Piekut of Effingham; daughter Elena Catherine Piekut of Effingham; daughter Jill Piekut Roy and her husband Chris of Richmond, ME; siblings Nancy Elliott of Durango, CO; Kenneth Berry of Ossipee; Donald Berry of Ogunquit, ME; Jonathan Berry of Durango, CO; and Jennifer Berry of Annapolis, MD; and many extended family members. She was preceded in death by her father, L. Raymond Berry of South Weymouth, MA, and brother, Robert Berry of Pembroke, MA.

Visiting hours will be held Friday, July 11, 2025, from 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Lord Funeral Home, 50 Moultonville Road, Center Ossipee, NH. A celebration of life will be announced at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to Cornerstone Visiting Nurses Association in Rochester (cornerstonevna.org) and Mount Washington Valley Adult Day Center in Conway (mwvadultdaycenter.org).

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