Obituary of Joseph DeWayne Perra

None Joseph DeWayne Perra was born on June 8th, 1921 in Wayzata, Minnesota. His parents were Richard M. Perra and Ida E. Perra. In addition to Joseph, they had one daughter, Evelyn, and three other sons, Medrick, Richard and Walter.The family moved to California in the early 1920’s. They had a family farm and the siblings tended the crops and repaired farm equipment. DeWayne, as he was known to the family, went to Modesto Junior College in Modesto in 1940 and majored in the Liberal Arts. DeWayne was working for Pan American Airways when he joined the Air Force on 11/07/42. He flew 50 missions in a B-24 aircraft during his service in World War II. He received multiple decorations and was given an Honorable Discharge. He achieved rank of T/Sgt and served in active duty until 10/04/45. Inventiveness seemed to be an integral part of his home life. One item he invented was a screw driver and sold the patent to Black & Decker. Among numerous other inventions, was a biofeedback device used by his mother to help lower her blood pressure. He was gifted in many ways. He had an ear for music and learned to play the piano. He remodeled his home in Monterey and had quite a knack for design. Simply put, he was a “jack-of-all-trades”. It was through a mutual friend that he met and fell in love with Jean and married her in 1974. At that time they were living on the Monterey Peninsula. They lived there for several years and after retiring in the sheet metal industry they moved to Minden, Nevada. While there, he spent a great deal of time working out in the yard, as gardening was one of his many passions. After being there for several years and wanting to be near family, they moved to the Tumwater area in 2003. DeWayne is survived by his wife of more than 32 years, Jean Emily Perra; three step-daughters, Debbie Benfield of Rochester, WA; Kimberly Kezeli of Rochester, WA and Laura Lindsey of Shackleford, West Virginia. He also leaves seven step-grandchildren; Alena Peters, Kendra Heath, Brian Heath, Kaitlynn McCarty, McKenna McCarty, Alyssa Riggs and Steffani Riggs. He also had seven step-great-grandchildren, Nicole Bartlett, Malyssa Bartlett, Mike Bartlett, Wyatt Heath, Ellie Heath, Kaden Riggs, Savannah Riggs; numerous nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Ida E. and Richard M. Perra; two brothers during the war years: Richard Gordon Perra (1943) and Walter Francis Perra (1944), Medrick Hugo Perra (2007), his sister Evelyn Perra Van Dersen (2002), and step-daughter Teresa Rene, in 1997. A celebration of the life of Joseph DeWayne Perra will be held at Funeral Alternatives in Tumwater on Sunday January 6th at 10:30 am, followed by a luncheon. Eternal Vision They know me not, who think that I am only flesh and blood… a transient dweller on this fragile spaceship earth that gave me human birth For I am spirit eternal, indestructible, not confined to space or time and when my sojourn here is through my roles fulfilled, my assignments done I will lay aside this spacesuit called my body and move on to other mansions, roles, assignments in our father’s house of eternal life So dry your tears weep not overmuch for me-or for yourself set me free, in the love that holds us all and makes us one eternally! Our paths will cross again our minds and hearts will touch our souls will shout with joy and laughter as we recall the lives we’ve lived the worlds we’ve seen, the ways we’ve trod to find ourselves-at last- in God