Obituary of Donna Louise Perry

To everyone’s shocked surprise, Donna Perry passed away on December 22, 2025, at Wallaceburg Sydenham Hospital—far earlier than she or anyone had planned.

She was born 76 years ago to the late Hugh and Melva Jackson of Tupperville. She leaves behind her husband, Cleo, son, Joe (MJ), and grandchildren, Allen and Lauren. She will be missed by her brother, Bill (Elinore), sister-in-law, Joyce (late Glen), brother-in-law, Clyde (Andrea), pre-deceased by sister-in-law, Erma (late Don), and several nieces and nephews. Although she didn’t have any biological sisters, she considered her girl cousins, Carol and Laurie, to be her actual sisters.

A farm girl through and through, Donna rarely sat still for long. She spent several years as a crop inspector for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, covering countless acres on foot in Kent and Lambton counties. She worked tirelessly in her garden, defeating weeds and any snakes unfortunate enough to cross her path. She knew the names of even the most obscure plants and eagerly looked forward to combine rides every year. Grass-cutting kept her busy, and picking up the last walnuts of the season was a particularly satisfying task.

Indoors, Donna was a master of canning and baking. Icicle pickles and muffins were her specialties, and pistachio pudding “green fluff” was a non-negotiable requirement at holiday meals. She could also sew and repair most articles of clothing her family tried to ruin.

For well over half a century, every Sunday, Donna could be found singing in the choir at Tupperville United Church. She held multiple positions at the church, far too many to list. She taught Sunday school for decades and, most recently, showed off her skills lighting Advent candles.

Donna and Cleo often celebrated their anniversary in Kincardine. She and Allen enjoyed many movies together and she attended several craft shows with Lauren. MJ was more like a friend than a daughter-in-law and they shared gardening tips and walks on the road along the Sydenham River. “Quick” phone calls with Donna often turned into at least a half hour. She and her girl cousins frequently went to plays in Petrolia or Stratford and treated themselves to spa days. All they had to do was come up with an idea and she would say “yes” and mark the date on her blackboard. If she had any tasks around the yard deemed too dangerous to tackle alone, she knew she could count on Joe or Allen to save the day.

She cherished her role as family historian and faithfully sent monthly emails to the Perry clan, reminding everyone of upcoming birthdays and anniversaries. Gifts for birthdays and Christmas often carried special meaning—Joe, in particular, received more ceramic squirrels than anyone could ever want.

Proudly Canadian, Donna flew the maple leaf flag in her front yard. Every winter, she offered a smorgasbord of bird seed for her feathered friends. She also provided a home to goldfish in her pond until a hungry heron decided to gobble them up.

Donna thoroughly enjoyed tormenting her husband whenever possible over their fifty-seven year marriage. She made a valiant effort not to be surprised by the many ridiculous exploits of her son across the planet. Her parting words to her grandchildren were always “see you in the funny papers”.

She stayed well-informed by reading the newspapers and never missed scanning the obituaries. Hopefully, she would find this one satisfactory—aside from the extremely premature date.

The Perry family will receive family and friends at Badder Funeral Home & Reception Centre, 679 North Street, Dresden, on Sunday, December 28, 2025 from 1 pm to 4 pm. The Funeral service will  will be held at the funeral home on Monday, December 29, 2025 at 11 am with visitation from 10 am-11am. Interment will follow immediately at Dresden Cemetery. A reception meal will be held at  the Dresden Arena (Ken Houston Memorial Agricultural Centre), at 1212 North Street following the Interment. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Donna may be made to Tupperville Zion United Church. Online condolences may be left at www.badderfuneralhome.com

To watch the funeral service, please click the link below.

https://event.forgetmenotceremonies.com/ceremony?c=ebed76c2-4b76-4974-bb84-4b633c5fa3fd