1937 – 2021
On October 26, 2021, Deanna “Dee” Perry, 84, departed this world for a heavenly one.
She was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, to Wilbert and Lydia. Dee graduated from Sheboygan Central High School in 1956. Dee later moved to Milwaukee to start a new job, and while living there she met her future husband, Peter Perry. They were married in 1957 and enjoyed nearly 55 years together before Peter’s passing in 2012.
Dee was very personable and had a sweet and fun personality, which put people at ease. For 25 years she shared her engaging smile and helpful attitude as a sales associate at Sears department stores, first in Titusville, FL, where the family lived for nearly seven years (1967 – 1974) when Peter accepted a transfer with AC-Delco to continue his work on the Apollo Space Program at the NASA-Kennedy Space Center. When that ended, the family relocated to Santa Barbara, CA, where Dee continued working at Sears, in La Cumbre Plaza. She developed many long-time friends from work and her church, Good Shepherd Lutheran in Goleta. After her retirement, she volunteered at church to collate Braille Scripture pages and helped assemble bulletins. She also visited the elderly and transported them to appointments or to church, and made more new friends in the process.
Dee was an amazing mid-western cook. She made sure to make her children their favorite cake on each of their birthdays. An excellent seamstress, Dee sewed matching dresses for her girls when they were younger. She was interested in interior design and pursued courses while living in Florida. In retirement, Dee spent many mornings walking with a friend or two, for hours at a time. As Dee’s health began to decline, her children took her for shorter walks and often a passerby would stop and greet her by name. Dee’s winsome and caring ways made her a friend to many.
Dee is survived by her four children—Jeff, Jennifer (John), Jodi, and Julie; two granddaughters, Morgan (Laramie) and Karmen, who knew her as “Nana”; one great-grandchild, Joaquin; her sister, Joyce Zeinemann; a niece, Cheryl Jens; a nephew, Steven Zeinemann, and other extended family in Wisconsin.
The family would like to express gratitude for the excellent care Dee received from the caregivers at Edelweiss Home
for the Elderly.
A memorial service and reception will be held at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church at 380 N Fairview Ave., Goleta, California, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, November 13. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Alzheimer’s Association or
to the church.
