44°
She graduated from Ossining High School in 1977 and began working for IBM in July 1977. Her first position at IBM was secretary to Charles Swilpa in White Plains. They fell in love and were married on Nov. 18, 1984. He was her hero. They moved to Boulder, Colorado and built their dream house in Pine Brook Hills where they lived for over 30 years.
Swilpa worked for IBM for over 30 years and held various positions in administration, programming, management, and her last position was Program Manager for the IBM Senior Location Executive at the Boulder IBM site.
Swilpa fought a courageous fight against two types of cancer. After her breast cancer diagnosis in 2001, she became an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society Relay for Life and was Team Captain, under her leadership over $70,000 was raised.
In addition to her work at the American Cancer Society, she volunteered with Boulder Community Hospital supporting newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. She also worked as an employee at Boulder Community Hospital in the Cancer Registry department. She persevered through the second Cancer diagnosis with all her strength. She pursued every available avenue for treatment, and continued to research treatments while receiving hospice care in her home, with her loving husband as her Caretaker.
In addition to her husband she is survived by her beloved daughter, Nicole Rosaria Swilpa (Joshua James Smith).
She is also survived by three brothers, Benedetto (Claire), Joseph (Gemma) and Sabino (Denise) and two sisters, Antoinette and Ernestine, and several nieces, nephews, great nephews and two great nieces. She is also survived by two step daughters Kim Swilpa-Wilkisson, Phyllis Swilpa-Atwood (Randy Atwood), a step son, Mark Swilpa and five step grandsons. In addition, her brother in-law Richard Swilpa (Michele). She loved her family, near and far, with all of her heart.
She was very proud of her Italian heritage and one of the major highlights of her life was visiting Corato, Bari in Italy in 1999 to meet her aunts, uncles and cousins. She loved traveling, cooking and spending time with her friends and family.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, May 8th at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church Catholic Church in Boulder, Colorado at 10 am. A reception will follow downstairs.
A Funeral service will also occur at a later date in Ossining at St. Ann’s Catholic Church.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the American Cancer Society, at her request, are greatly appreciated
Click here to follow Daily Voice Ossining and receive free news updates.
