Theresa Perrin

Theresa Lynn (Arbaugh King) Perrin, age 64 of Lancaster, Ohio peacefully ascended this Earthly Realm to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in Heaven in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 27, 2023. She was in the process of undergoing rehabilitation care following a stroke that took place on May 7th 2023 and eventually succumbed to the after effects of this event. She was such a Special, Sweet person who touched so many lives. Her absence is visceral and we will carry the essence of her within our Hearts every single day.

Theresa was born on November 3, 1958 in Columbus, Ohio, to Obetz Mayor Larry Arbaugh & Mother Alene Arbaugh. She was the Middle Child of 3 siblings including herself, older Brother Donald Young and younger sister Connie Davis. Family was everything to Theresa and she loved her siblings beyond measure. She was the epitome of the Middle Child- the one who brought balance and grounding to the family dynamic. She and Connie would end up living together and leaning on one another for many years at different intervals through tough times. They had a very unique but Loving relationship and Theresa appreciated the way that Connie really stepped up and showed up for her after her separation. The Family won’t ever forget what Connie has done for her.

Theresa was first was married to Harry L. King of Amanda until their eventual separation and divorce in 1994. This marriage brought her two boys, Justin R. King (Boo) and Harry Lee King II (Buddy/Monkey) into the world and they were her greatest achievements, as she would always say. Theresa was born to be a Mother and she was SO GOOD at it. She made it look so easy! She wasn’t without her own struggles, though, but she always handled herself with such Grace and did her best to instill Kindness, Understanding, Love and Empathy into the hearts of her boys. They carry her with them, as she is forever emblazoned into the very fabric of who they are as humans because of the work she put into them as a Mother. She would always talk about how being a Mom was “the Role of a Lifetime” and her Greatest Achievement as a person. She would literally say to people that she was put on Earth to be a Mother and would talk about how fulfilling it is. How lucky Justin & Buddy are to have had her as their Mom.

She found Love again and re-married on August 17, 1996 to Bernie R. Perrin, also of Lancaster, Ohio. He stepped up to the plate and helped her raise her two boys as any good Father should. They had a very strong, supportive marriage and she absolutely LOVED being a Wife. Taking care of everyone and pouring love into people is what she always said she was Born to do… and boy did she ever! Bernie was her favorite partner in crime and they always had such a great time with each other. So much Love!

Once her two sons were grown, she got to re-live the Maternal experience that she so loved after her Grandkids were born. Jackson, Nikolas and Harper King became her absolute pride and joy. She would light up whenever she got to see or speak to them and it made her entire day. She had become home bound during the last few years of her life after many health struggles but that did not stop her. She made sure that everyone knew just how much she loved them and that was something she made sure that people understood; tell your Loved Ones how much you care about them because our time here is limited. She couldn’t have been more proud to be a Grandmother and to witness the raising of her son Buddy’s children; to see him using the same principles to raise his own children that she instilled into his heart as his Mom growing up. To be around Theresa was to feel the wonderful energy she exuded which was unadulterated, pure and unconditional LOVE. She was such a special and rare person who lived and breathed her Family.

Theresa attended Hamilton Township High School (Hammy High) and Graduated in 1976. She was always such an intelligent and bright Scorpio Woman with a wit that would intimidate most people until they heard her infectious laugh and saw that gorgeous big Smile of hers. Once that happened, all bets were off because everyone loved her! Everyone always says that about their loved ones but this couldn’t be more truthful. She was loved by EVERYONE and is as equally missed by those same people. She found a lot of joy in connecting with people from her Alumni via the ‘Hammy High Alumni’ forums online where she was able to reconnect with so many incredible people with whom she shared such special bonds and many fantastic stories. You all know who you are- Just know that she loved you guys so much and checked up on everyone OFTEN. If your name isn’t mentioned here please know that she loved you all.

She worked for many years as a Freelance Cleaner (residential and business) with her close friend Carolyn Ruble. She then went on to become a Baker and Cake Decorator at Big Bear until she was injured at work and had to have surgery on her shoulders. She would eventually become a Stay at Home Mother after her injury and although she enjoyed her job, she took having to become a Home Maker it in stride because after all, That’s what she was so good at! She was the absolute best at taking care of a Home and a Family. THE BEST.

Some of her hobbies as a Creative Person included all kinds of Arts & Crafts including Painting, Coloring using her Gel Pens, making home decor and coordinating a Teddy Bear theme into her Kitchen, creating colorful Stepping Stone designs and painting other rocks for her little outdoor Pond area. She enjoyed bonding with the Family while Planting Flowers and Landscaping, she was into Organization & DIY Projects at home, indulging in her favorite TV Shows such as ‘Days of Our Lives’, ‘RIDE’, & Grey’s Anatomy’ and she was really good at Cake Decoration & other Baking/Cooking Techniques. She really enjoyed the process of creating a clean, welcoming house, so she treated everyday cleaning as a hobby too. She always created a beautifully welcoming space and made her house truly feel like a Home. She was the type of person who LOVED receiving Vacuums and appliances for gifts because she enjoyed being a Home Maker so much. She also had an immense Love for Animals! She absolutely ADORED her puppies through the years. She’s taken in rescues, assisted in the whelping of several litters of Jack Russell Puppies and even a few litters of Kittens too, even if they weren’t hers. She would always help others in these situations who didn’t quite know what to do. She did it all and she would have started an Animal Sanctuary if she had the means to do so! Animals brought her so much happiness and she had the most beautiful Fur Baby relationships through the years including Bo- a Golden Chow Chow, Ebony, The most gorgeous Black/White Pitty who belonged to Buddy, Brady Love, Peachie, Daisy, Punkie, Honey and her son Justin’s baby named Maci Jade … all of which are Jack Russell Terriers. She was such a Jack Russell Person!

Theresa really enjoyed listening to music and taking Road trips. Some of the family’s favorite memories with her are fun stories of jamming out to Bob Seger during Road Trips or while planting flowers in her little pond area at her home. She was really into Classic Rock and she seemed to know every song that ever played. It was impressive and she would really jam out! So much fun. She really loved being together with Family and going to visit the people she cared about. No distance was too great for her, she would hop into the car and take a trip to see someone, “just because”. She had the best sense of humor too! Such a sarcastic, intelligent wit that was unmatched. Goodness she loved to laugh and make other people laugh! She was the classic definition of a good-time-gal but she never partook in any of the substances that sometimes come with that. She was as straight-edge as they come and that is also quite rare. She stood strong in her convictions and never let herself falter for anyone. We can really learn a lot from how she carried herself in life, she did the work and really knew who she was. That is a huge part of the allure that is Theresa. She was not without mistake, just like every other person on the planet, but she wasn’t afraid to admit when she was wrong. As a Faithful, God-Fearing Christian Woman, Theresa really believed in and practiced the act of Forgiveness. She believed very strongly that we have to own up to our mistakes and apologize for them and that when we do, everyone deserves compassion and forgiveness because we all have a story to tell. That is such an admirable trait to possess; sometimes forgiveness isn’t easy but she made it feel like it was… and like it should be.

She had undergone several different surgeries through the years and after an esophagus cancer diagnosis in 2010 and the following esophageal surgery in 2011 which allowed her to be cancer-free, she and her son Justin became as close as Mother & Son could possibly be when he started to care for her medical & everyday needs when she wasn’t able to. They had such deep, meaningful conversations about anything and everything you could possibly think of. She had another surgery on her lung in 2013 which really left her in a weakened state, coupled with the effects of the esophageal surgery that forever altered the way her body absorbed nutrients from food. She eventually got to a place where she couldn’t really do much without someone’s help and Justin was her caregiver for several years, fulfilling that role right up to the date of her passing. He says it was the most fulfilling years of his life and although it isn’t easy to be a full time Caregiver for someone, it created such a rewarding dynamic which allowed he and his Mom to become Best Friends; even closer than they already were before her health issues. They had such a beautiful and unique relationship because of it. “I wouldn’t change it for the world”. She was my everything”, he says.

Theresa is survived by her loving Husband, Bernie R. Perrin, sons Harry King (Buddy & Alisha) & Justin King (David Paul); Grandchildren Jackson King, Nikolas King and Harper King- all of Lancaster, OH; Lilly Perrin & Bai’Lee Perrin of Lancaster OH; Alexis Entwistle & Keith Entwistle jr. of Indianapolis, IN; Stepdaughters Keri (Keith) Entwistle of Indianapolis, IN & Deanna Perrin of Lancaster, OH; Stepsons Andy (Mary) King, Scott (Mel) King & Timothy King- all of Lancaster OH; Her Brother Donald Young of Lafollette, TN and sister Connie Davis of Lancaster OH; Sister-in-Law Talitha Perrin of Lancaster, OH & Brother-in-Law Steve Perrin of Marietta, OH; Nephew Jacob Young, Niece Traci Arbaugh both of Lancaster, OH, Lucas & Aleia Young of KY, Nephew Donald Davis of Lafayette, TN; Aunt Becky (Dave) Dixon of Obetz, OH, Aunt Anna “Lou” (Matt) Kramer, of Mesa, AZ; Her dear friends Sherri Brown(Greene), Marilyn Oravec, Denise Robberts, Karen Jones, Mark Cramblit, Brian & Dee Spring, Teena Kennedy, Bill Hammons, and many other amazing friends, cousins, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces and Nephews. She loved every single one of us so very much and if your name isn’t listed here please know that she loves you too! It’s difficult to remember everyone in moments like this but she would be naming off every one of you without a second thought if she could. You know who you are.

She is preceded in death by her Parents, Larry & Alene Arbaugh, Paternal Grandparents Gerald & Estella Arbaugh, Maternal Grandparents Leonard & Bertha Hensley, Mother & Father in-law from her first marriage Harry “Bud” Lewis King & Leona King, Aunt Josephine Frazier and her three children Marvin “Hobo” Frazier, James “Squirrel” Frazier & Nancy Frazier (Pilkins), nephew Jeffrey Davis II, Mother & Father in Law Richard & Mary Perrin, cousin Pfc. Christopher Dixon, son-in-law David Leroy Paul, her Best Friend Melanie Shaeffer, Friend and favorite teacher to her boys Cheryl Robinson, Pastor Erladine Heffner and many other loved ones from all over every side of her extended Family that we all miss very much.

Theresa lived a passionate life with many ups and downs but two things always stood strong- her Faith in the Lord and her Love for Family. She may have ascended into Heaven while we remain here for now but she is always with us, inside of our very hearts. She left her imprint upon everyone who came to know her and in this way, we won’t ever be without her, just like the Lord is always with us- as said in the “Footprints in The Sand” poem which was one of her favorites:

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed

he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.

For each scene he noticed two sets of

footprints in the sand: one belonging

to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,

he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of

his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very

lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he

questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way.

But I have noticed that during the most

troublesome times in my life,

there is only one set of footprints.

I don't understand why when

I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,

I Love you and I would never leave you.

During your times of trial and suffering,

when you see only one set of footprints,

it was then that I CARRIED YOU."

That is exactly how Theresa is too. Of course she is guiding each of us! Let us remember Theresa in this way and keep her legacy alive by keeping her memory close and knowing that although we cannot see her, she’s right here with us, carrying us through and showering us with a Love that only she could give.

The Family is still in the process of planning a Celebration of Life to fulfill her final wishes. She had very specific instructions so we are going to honor that. You can click the “Receive Updates” button below to stay informed on the finalizing of such a date when that happens.

In lieu of Flowers, the Family is accepting donations to offset the final costs to the Family. Donations can be mailed directly to:

Justin King

930 Fairfield Ave

Lancaster Ohio, 43130

-or-

you can also safely and securely donate directly to the family online (via SQUARE), by copy and pasting this link into your phone’s browser if it isn’t clickable: https://square.link/u/mBNDa84w?src=sheet

Thank you to everyone who Loved our sweet Theresa throughout her life. She will Live on Forever within each of you.