Bertha Perez

Bertha Perez, 91, of Chicago, Illinois, passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Sunday, October 6, 2024. She was born on February 8, 1933, in San Antonio, Texas, to parents, Armando and Jovita Rodriguez (nee Serna).

Bertha grew up in San Antonio, Texas, and attended local schools. Growing up, Bertha was one of ten children, her brothers and sisters were her first and closest friends. Having been raised in a big family, it was no surprise that she would go on to raise a large family of her own, giving birth to six girls and two boys. Family was always a cornerstone in Bertha’s life, and it was no different when it came to her own blossoming family. She looked forward to the holidays, especially Christmas, when the whole family would come together on Christmas Eve and celebrate past midnight, wishing each other a Merry Christmas before parting ways. Bertha’s heart was at its fullest when her home was filled with family.

Bertha met the love of her life, Primitivo Perez, after moving to Chicago. He loved Bertha dearly. They were united in marriage in 1974 in Chicago.

Bertha worked as a pharmacy tech at Sun Drug for over 30 years. She loved being able to help her customers and reveled in the opportunities to meet and talk to the many people that frequented the store. Bertha enjoyed the relationships that she built with the customers and looked forward to casually chatting with the many friends she made while working behind the counter. Being bi-lingual, speaking both Spanish and English, Bertha assisted countless people throughout the years with their immigration papers. She loved being able to help people in any way she could and her ability to speak both English and Spanish came in handy many times over the years. Bertha was both street smart and book smart and she used her knowledge, particularly of taxes, to assist many Spanish speaking friends and family with filing their taxes, which they were always so grateful for.

If there is one thing for certain, it is that Bertha always lived her life to the fullest. She loved to travel and continued to travel across the country, many times on her own, into her mid 80’s. Never one to doubt herself, she knew what she wanted out of life and adamantly chased her desires and dreams. She was a lifelong fan of the Mexican music style of Norteñas, which she loved to dance to. At any get-together, whether big or small, you could guarantee that Bertha would be on the dance floor. In her free time, she loved to crochet blankets for her family, many of which they cherish to this day. She was also gifted when it came to arranging flowers. The bright colors of the flowers perfectly matched the vibrancy of Bertha’s spirit. Never one to miss out on a trip to the casino, you could always find her working her magic on the slot machines. She loved playing cards, especially with her family, and always somehow won. Whether she was a natural wiz at cards, or had some tricks up her sleeve, we will never know, and she would never tell. Laughter surrounded Bertha, and her laughter was contagious. She was so quick witted; you never could guess what she was going to say next. Bertha loved her family more than anything. She raised eight, strong, independent, and compassionate children. Tough love was the remedy for all of life’s problems, but through all the years, she held her family close, and they returned her love tenfold. She relished becoming a grandmother, she loved that she could spoil them rotten and then send them home at the end of the day. With eight children, the group of grandchildren grew by leaps and bounds each year, and she loved every second of it. Bertha’s legacy will carry on through the beautiful family she created, and they will cherish the endless memories they have of a woman who spoke her mind, lived life on her own terms, and whose love knew no limit. Mamá, Abuela, we will miss you more than you could ever know.

Bertha leaves behind her children: Raul Gutierrez, Mike (Carmen) Gutierrez, Hope (Francisco) Cantu, Bertha (Eric) Lynch, Rosemary (Salvador) Raymundo, Leticia (Anthony) Annoreno, Julia (Samuel) Castrejon, and Cindy Perez; twenty-eight grandchildren, thirty-seven great grandchildren, four great great grandchildren, and a whole family of friends.

She is reunited with her parents, Armando and Jovita Rodriguez; and her husband of 40 years, Primitivo Perez.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, October 10, 2024, from 4:00p.m. to 8:00p.m. at Drake and Son Funeral Home, 5303 North Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625. A Funeral Mass to celebrate her faith will be held at 10:00a.m. on Friday, October 11, 2024, at St. Ita Catholic Church, 5500 North Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640. Entombment will immediately follow the Mass at Queen of Heaven Catholic Cemetery and Mausoleum, 1400 South Wolf Road, Hillside, IL 60162.