Robert George Pieper was born on October 23, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois, the youngest of the two sons of Raymond A. Pieper and Helen M. Kohnke. He attended St. Peter Canisius Grammar School and St. Ignatius High School, both in Chicago. Upon graduation from high school he began his college education at St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota.

On June 24, 1947 he entered the Dominican novitiate at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois, and was given the religious name Ferrer. There he made his first profession on June 25, 1948 and began his philosophical studies at the Pontifical Faculty of Philosophy, River Forest, Illinois, where he completed his college education and obtained a master's degree in philosophy. After making his final vows on

June 25, 1951, he was transferred to St. Rose of Lima Priory, Dubuque, Iowa, where he began his theological studies and where he was ordained a priest on May 27, 1954.

Father Pieper began his first assignment in the fall of 1955 as an associate pastor at St. Dominic's Parish, New Orleans, Louisiana. A year later he joined the faculty of Fenwick High School, Oak Park, Illinois, the first of his four different assignments to this ministry. He taught in the history and theology departments and during this time obtained a master's degree in American history from DePaul University, Chicago. In 1962 he was again assigned to St. Dominic' s Parish, New Orleans, this time for four years. In 1966 he was recalled to Fenwick High School to assume the position of Dean of Students, a ministry which he fulfilled until 1971. At that time, he was appointed pastor of St. Helena Parish, Amite, Louisiana, where he served for six years. After completing a term as pastor, he was once again assigned to Fenwick High School and taught in the theology department until 1984. At that time the declining health of his mother required his personal attention and until her death in 1988 he provided daily care for his mother. During this time he assisted in parishes in the western suburbs of Chicago. Upon the death of his mother he returned to Fenwick High School for the fourth time, providing assistance to the Dean of Student s and managing the bookstore (1988-1990). During the spring semester of 1991 Father Pieper took a sabbatical at the Vatican II Institute, Menlo Park, California.

In the fall of 1991 after his sabbatical, Father Pieper began what was to be his last ministry, that of chaplain to the Little Sisters of the Poor in Palatine, Illinois, and to the resident s of St. Joseph's Home which was run by the Little Sisters. He also taught in the formation program for their young Sisters. In late spring of 1997, it was discovered that he had cancer of the stomach and he underwent surgery followed by a program of chemotherapy. The cancer went into remission, however, in early August of 1998 it was determined that the cancer was once again active. In mid-August he entered the Alexian Brothers Hospital in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, and died there unexpectedly on August 19, 1998.

On August 21st a Mass was celebrated for the Little Sisters and the residents of St. Joseph's Home, Palatine, Illinois, and on August 22nd the Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Thomas Aquinas Priory, River Forest, Illinois, with burial being in the Dominican plot at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, Illinois.