“Monadnock is a mountain strong, Tall and good my kind among; But well I know, no mountain can, Zion or Meru, measure with man.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
Roy Kingsbury Piper, 93, of Keene, NH and the last surviving grandchild of Harry T. Kingsbury, passed away peacefully on Aug, 18, 2021, supported by his loving wife. Roy was born on April 12, 1928, in Keene, the son of the late Allison Nims and Lucy Friend (Kingsbury) Piper. He completed his high school education at the Williston Academy in Easthampton, Mass., and received a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Brown University. Following college, Roy joined the U.S. Army and served in the Army Corps of Engineers in the Philippines during the Korean War. After his military duties, Roy was employed by Aero Services Corp. (Philadelphia), which sent him around the United States mapping the Interstate Highway System. While working in New Jersey, he met and married his wife, Anne, with whom he built a house in Keene and celebrated 65 years together. The opportunity to purchase a land surveying business allowed Roy to return home, work in the outdoors which he loved, and pursue a career in which he excelled and was highly respected. He was an active member of the community, and of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Keene. He served on the church’s board and, for many years, sang in the church choir and with the Keene Barber Shoppers. He was a multi-gallon blood donor, had been a member of the Keene Country Club and served six years on Keene’s Conservation Commission. He was also a member of the New Hampshire Poetry Society, and published a collection of his work titled “Eternity Lost and Other Poems.” A true New Englander, Roy loved cross-country skiing, summers swimming and canoeing on Spofford Lake and gardening in the backyard. He was an avid runner, who also enjoyed Dixieland jazz and attending the opera. But most of all he loved time with his family. Roy will be greatly missed by his devoted wife, Anne Piper, of Keene; his children: Jon Kingsbury Piper ’75 and his wife, Beth, of North Newton, Kan.; Stephen Roy Piper and his wife, Susan, of Dover; and Kathrine Anne Piper and her husband, Chad Swahnberg, of Keene; a son-in-law, John Miglietta; his grandchildren: Joshua and his wife, Ashley; Emily and her husband, Matthew; Samuel; James and his wife, Hannah; Thomas and his fiancee, Kylie; Aaron; and Lily; his great-grandchildren, Theo and Wilona; as well as many nieces, nephews, distant cousins, and extended family and friends. He was predeceased by his daughter, Leslie Allison Miglietta; and his siblings: David Piper and his wife, Dorothy; Margaret Hanrahan and her husband, Charles; and Nancy Murray and her husband, James. Memorial contributions may be made in Roy Kingsbury Piper’s honor to: Monadnock Conservancy, 15 Eagle Court, Keene NH 03431 (www.monadnockconservancy.org); or Home Healthcare, Hospice and Community Services, P.O. Box 564, 312 Marlboro St., Keene NH 03431 (www.HCSServices.org). A celebration of Roy’s life will be announced at a later date.