Beatrice "BeBe" P. Wolkowski

Beatrice P. (Hopper) “BeBe” Wolkowski was born on September 7, 1927 in Nashua New Hampshire. She was a lifelong resident of Nashua until spending the last few years of her life at Maple Leaf Nursing Home in Manchester, NH. She passed away peacefully on December 14, 2021 with her son John and dear friend Louise Rudolph at her side.

She married Alonzo R. (Whitey”) Wolkowski in November, 1958. She will now celebrate Christmas with her beloved husband, who left us 31 years ago, on December 22nd.

Bebe was an incredible, loving, giving and generous person who touched the lives of so many people during her 94 years. Despite severe illness as a child, she is the last of the Hopper daughters, Alice, Pat, Ann and her twin sister Marge. She and Marge were virtually inseparable, seeing each other or calling on the phone each and every day, 2 or 3 times each day.

Before she married, she lived with Marge and Ed Lecius, Sr. Each Christmas and Easter, they would take Ed & Margie’s two children clothes shopping, dressing them to the nines. This is a tradition that continued with Ed’s children, Sarah and Becky.

Her passion and joy was serving people in the restaurant business beginning at Rosebuds in Nashua under the tutelage of John and Helen Bartis. Her career in the business continued on at McNulty & Foleys, where began working with John Wollen, then continuing with the LaRose and Dion family for a total of 40 years. There, she proudly served dignitaries from all walks of life, including Presidents. She had an incredible work ethic. Her baking skills were unbelievable, especially her Christmas trays and world-famous coffee cake. She must have baked a million of them over the years. Many have said it was not Christmas until they received BeBe’s trays.

Bebe and Whitey hosted a “block party” each Fourth of July, inviting family, friends, and neighbors for endless food and the opportunity for a front-row seat for watching the fireworks at Holman Stadium. On any given year, there must’ve been close to 100 in attendance. Despite all the hard work, she loved every minute in preparing the food and enjoying the company.

She established lifelong relationships with the Bartis family (going over the mountain to New York), the Lucier family and the Dion family. They never forgot “Auntie BeBe”, and she cherished each and every one of them. Her love of family extended to the Domenech and Provencher children, additional nieces and nephews who were lucky to be part of her life. To this very day, “Uncle Andy” still kept in touch.

BeBe was enormously supportive to Whitey’s parents and their family. She became a primary caretaker for Eva and John Wolkowski for many years. There were many Christmas gatherings at her home, somehow cramming 20+ people into the relatively small home. She was godmother to more children that we can even count.

To the consternation of some, she spoiled her son John throughout all of the years. That tradition ultimately continued after his marriage to Lisa Kress. Bebe took great care of them and all of their dogs over the years. Bebe’s grand dogs anxiously awaited every Thursday afternoon when their Grandma arrived for her overnight visit.

The loving care she received the last few years at Maple Leaf Nursing Home was phenomenal particularly once Covid began and John and Lisa were no longer able to visit.

Bebe is survived by her son John and his wife Lisa, Lisa’s parents John and Louise Rudolph, her nephew Ed Lecius and his wife, Elaine, their daughters Sarah Altieri and her husband Steve, Becky Lecius-Haerinck and her husband Sean, along with their children; her niece, Margo Lawrie and her husband Rick; Robert Nolin and Keith Nelson; “son #2”, Peter Hutchins and his wife Kathy; her many Godchildren; and extended family and friends too numerous to list.

She was predeceased by her husband Whitey, her 4 sisters, her beloved nephew Mark Lecius, her loving niece Karen Hildreth and, most recently, by her dear friend of over 75 years, June Degnan.

What a girl, wife, mother and friend. Hers was a long life, very well lived

A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 AM on Wednesday, December 22, 2021 at St. Aloysius of Gonzaga located at 48 West Hollis Street, Nashua, NH with internment immediately thereafter at St. Stanislaus Cemetery.

The family requests no flowers be sent for the funeral and burial. Instead, memorial donations may be made to The McDonough Scholarship Foundation, 61 North Street, Manchester, NH 03104. McDonough is a non-profit organization the Wolkowski family benefited from during John’s college years. The family remained involved with McDonough ever since.

Memories and condolences may be offered at www.ZISSWEENEYFUNERALHOME.com