A familiar smile lit up St. Thomas students’ mornings from 1998 to 2014 and occasional visits back to campus after that. That smile belonged to Dorothy “Dottie” Piper, grandmother-like dining services employee who died Wednesday at age 94.

“Everybody just loved to be around her,” Dining Services Intern and senior Adrianne Curtis said. “She always had a smile on her face because she loved what she was doing.”

Piper was a part of St. Thomas’ dining services for 16 years, greeting students and swiping ID’s at the entrance of the Cafe and The View. She was a familiar face to many students as she worked the door for both breakfast and lunch.

“She made everyone’s day when people would come in and see her,” Curtis said.

Even after retiring from dining services in 2014, Piper frequently found her way back to St. Thomas to visit and have breakfast with students.

“She wanted to come back after she retired,” food service worker Karen Schmidt said. “She missed it that much.”

In an interview with TommieMedia regarding her retirement, Piper expressed how much she enjoyed being a part of the St. Thomas community.

“I love my job and everybody I work with,” Piper said. “I try to be nice to everybody and respectful, and I think that means a lot.”

Schmidt, who worked with Piper for 15 years, said she will miss her dearly.

“She was like a grandma to me too,” Schmidt said. “She always had a hello for everybody.”

Piper left a long-lasting impact on the St. Thomas community, memorizing names and forming relationships with many students over the years.

“My two daughters went here, and all of their classmates have commented on Facebook that they can’t believe she is gone and how much they miss her,” Schmidt said. “She made a big impact on many kids.”

The funeral will take place Tuesday, May 10, at the Church of St. Mark’s in St. Paul. Visitation is Monday, May 9, from 5-7 p.m. at Holcomb-Henry-Boom-Purcell Funeral Home in St. Paul, as well as an hour prior to Tuesday’s funeral mass.