Victoria Christine Thomas

August 9, 1956 – February 23, 2016

Vicki of Raleigh, NC passed away peacefully after 15 years as a double lung transplant. Vicki is survived by her husband John Stirparo (Raleigh), her sister Pamela Barone (De), Her brothers Christopher Pease (Wa), and George Pease (Ca). Vicki was preceded in death by her beloved mother JoAnne Pease Lang and brother Kelly Pease.

John and Vicki and there family grew up together in Wilmington, De where they went to St Thomas grade school and St Mark’s high school together. After high school Vicki work at the law firm Connelly, Bove, and Lodge.

At the age of 21 Vicki sought more adventure then Delaware could provide so she moved to California and lived in Long Beach, Ca. Vicki joined the LA law firm of Kegel, Tobin, and Lodge were she work for 25 years and would eventually become office manager of the firm.

In California Vicki made friends easily and they would become life- long friends. Among them her best friends Darlene and John, Sharon,, Steve and Melva, Tom and Mary. In 1995 Vicki was diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension. Her California friends took Vicki in and took care of her until she had her double lung transplant in 2001 at USC (Ca). In 2002 she competed in the transplant games in Florida. After the transplant games she contacted her childhood friend John Stirparo in North Carolina. A month later Vicki moved to NC they were married a year later August 9 2003. Being back on the east coast Vicki was able to reconnect with her sister Pamela, Aunt Lynn and Uncle Jay, her nieces and nephews. Especially her niece Teresa in Missouri. While in North Carolina Vicki would easily make more friends, Ann and Mark, John and JoAnne, John and Karen, Patti and Dave, Cecila, Roger and Kris, Ruth and Mike, and Cathy.

Finally Vicki and I would like to thank the family that donated their loved one’s lungs that gave Vicki a second life so she could bring love and joy to many people over the next 15 years, the Doctors at USC (Ca), the Doctors, Nurses, Respiratory Therapist at Duke Hospital who treated us like friends and got Vicki out of serious trouble many times. We would especially like to recognize the following Duke transplant doctors: Dr. Stephanie Norfolk, Dr. Jamie Todd, Dr. Scott Palmer, Dr Lake Morrison. Vicki’s transplant coordinator Melissa Fosset and Vicki’s Primary Care Dr. Isabella Bensten.

A memorial service for Vicki will be held at St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church and interment at All Saints Cemetery in Wilmington, Delaware.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made at the Lungtransplantfoundation.org (Duke Hospital) Arrangements are under the care of Brown-Wynne Funeral Home 300 Saint Mary’s St. Raleigh, NC 27605