Obituary of Maria "Rara" E. (Ciman) Sweeney

Maria E. Rara (Ciman) Sweeney, 60 years, of Peabody died Friday at her home after a long battle with cancer. Mrs. Sweeney was born March 31, 1942 in Peabody daughter of the late Rudolfo and Jennie (Taramino) Ciman. She was raised and educated in Peabody graduating from Peabody High School class of 1959. After raising her family she joined the workforce as a dispatcher and bus driver for the former Travel Time now known as Laidlaw Transportation Co. in Peabody where she was employed for 23 years before retiring in 2001 due to her illness. She was a devoted mother and grandmother. She is survived by four sons and their wives, Frederick Sweeney and Denise Lord of Alexandria, VA, James and Leslie Sweeney of Peabody, John and Karen Sweeney of Odenton, MD and Joseph and Diane Sweeney of Huntingtown, MD; three daughters and their husbands, Maureen and William Pepper of Hampton Falls, NH, Kathleen and James Barrett of Danvers and Colleen and Arthur Ricard of Peabody; a brother and his wife, Louis and Eileen Ciman of Peabody; a sister, Lucille Tighe of Peabody; 15 grandchildren; 3 aunts, several nieces, nephews and cousins. Her funeral will be held Thursday at 8 a.m. from the Cahill-Brodeur facility at 20 Church St. Peabody 978-531-0472 of the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 9 a.m. in St. Ann Church, Peabody. Relatives are respectfully invited. Visiting hours Tuesday 6 to 8 p.m. and Wednesday 4 to 8 p.m. Burial in Cedar Grove Cemetery, Peabody. Memorial contributions may be made to the Beverly Hospital Oncology Dept., C/O Dev. Office, 85 Herrick St., Beverly, MA 01915 or Hospice of the North Shore, 10 Elm St., Danvers, MA 01923. For directions and guestbook visit www.ccbfuneral.com