Obituary of Jesse Thomas Collora

Jesse T. Collora died peacefully in Chapel Hill, NC on Sunday, September 3, due to complications following lung cancer. He was 67. When he passed, Jesse was surrounded by his wife Mary (nee Pipe), son Jesse and daughters Jaime (Bley) and Katey (Hash), and sisters-in-law Debbie Pipe and Teresa Otterman. He is also survived by his daughters' husbands, John Bley and Robert Hash; grandchildren Christopher, Parker, Livia, Haley and Archer; siblings Catherine, Joseph, Angela and Joann; and more aunts, uncles, nephews, nieces, cousins, and in-laws than there is space to fit! He will also be missed by his lifelong friends Barry, Jim and Jay. Jesse was born on July 22, 1950 to Jesse and Helen (nee Raymond) in Philadelphia. Both of his parents and his parents-in-law, Richard and Teresa Pipe, preceded him in death. Jesse was a lifelong resident of Levittown until he moved to Chapel Hill one year ago. He met and married his wife Mary in 1980 and raised his family in Levittown. Jesse served his country from 1968-1971 in the US Army as a paratrooper attached to the 82nd Airborne. After being discharged, Jesse worked for 30 years at U.S. Steel and then part-time for 13 years "in retirement" at Home Depot. He was a friendly, lively and hilarious friend and coworker to many. Jesse loved spending time with his family and friends and was always the life of the party. He relished telling stories and jokes to anyone who would listen, and could often be overheard welcoming people with "greetings and hallucinations" and reminding people that he was "living the dream." Jesse loved playing softball in his younger days and then coaching his daughters' teams when they started playing the sport. He also loved getting together with friends to play pinnacle. After retirement from U.S. Steel, Jesse took up the hobby of baking, and his Christmas cookies were the stuff of legends. In addition to his sweet treats, we will all miss his ability to answer Jeopardy questions with ease and his encyclopedic knowledge of classic rock. At Jesse's request, no funeral will be held. A memorial service will be held on December 27 and those interested in attending should contact the family for more details. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, CB #7295 UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7295. Checks should note "Lung Cancer Research (373755)." Walker's Funeral Home of Chapel Hill is honored to serve the Collora family during this time.