Kathleen Alice Perry

Kathleen was a loving mother, wife, very proud grandmother and an accomplished and well-regarded artist. She was a member of the United Empire Loyalists and life-long member of the Alberta Society of Artists, serving a term as chairperson in the 1970’s.

Kathleen was born in Cereal, Alberta in 1920, the second eldest of four sisters. She grew up on the family farm, and it was there that she learned to be self-sufficient and industrious. After graduating high school in Lloydminster with honours, Kathleen attended the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity on scholarship and then the Alberta College of Art on full scholarship, graduating from a 3 year program. Later in life, Kathleen enrolled in the Department of Fine Arts at the University of Alberta, taking classes at the same period of time as her “children”, much to their collective chagrin. She was an art instructor, teaching art classes across Canada, and painting and exhibiting works her entire adult life. Painting was her passion, and she continued to create work right up until her passing, and of this we are very proud. In addition to having exhibitions in Calgary, Fiji (where she resided for a year), Edmonton and Ottawa, Kathleen was commissioned by numerous organizations to produce works of art, including by Syncrude Canada, the Government of Alberta, Pan Canadian, Imperial Oil, Fort Edmonton and for the Government House Provincial 100th Birthday celebrations.

Kathleen married W. F. Gordon Perry, then a young RCMP Constable, in 1945, having waited 7 years for Gordon to be permitted to marry by the RCMP. They were married for 67 years before Gordon’s passing. As an RCMP bride, Kathleen moved her family every few years, which included postings to Calgary, Red Deer, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Regina and Edmonton. In her retirement, Kathleen continued to travel extensively, always with paints and brushes in tow, to Fiji, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Mexico, Phoenix and her beloved Banff.

In addition to art, Kathleen was passionate about politics, and was a founding member and director of the Reform Party. She also made sure that all her children and grandchildren were sufficiently well versed in the political issues of the day to enable them to participate in healthy political debates. With her.

Kathleen loved to dress up and dress well and won many awards at costume balls and events. All her costumes were hand-made, as, in addition to all her other talents, Kathleen was an exquisite seamstress, dress and hat-maker. She continued to dress beautifully until the day she died. She was a wonderful cook, and brought her artistry to her cooking, especially desserts, using spun sugar and exquisite designs making them almost too beautiful to eat. Kathleen was an elegant lady of high moral standards, with a keen intellect, and a bright and creative mind.

Kathleen is lovingly remembered by her daughters, Kathlyn Perry (Stuart Young) and Chrysten Perry (Chris Bennett) and her son, Brent Perry (Cheri Thom), along with her grandchildren Christopher, Erin and Tom Perry, Patrick Young and Brendan, Matthew and Tara Bennett, her sister Hazel Litzgus and numerous nieces and nephews, including Gwen Heaton and Jennifer Litzgus, both of whom were very caring to her in her final days.

Kathleen was predeceased by her husband, Gordon in 2012, her eldest son, Brian Perry, in 2017 shortly before her death, and her two beloved sisters, Jean Noyes and Mildred Coleman. Kathleen was also a devoted daughter and “just adored” her mother Emma Ball and her father George Ball, so we thought a “shout-out” for Grandmother and Grandfather Ball was also appropriate.

The family would like to thank the care-givers at The Renoir for their kindness to Kathleen over the years, and to all of the staff at La Maison, who were so very kind and loving to Kathleen in her last days.

An opportunity to pay your respects in a visitation will be held at South Calgary Funeral Centre, 12700 Macleod Trail South (at Lake Fraser Gate) on Thursday, August 24, 2017 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. A Funeral Service will be held also at South Calgary Funeral Centre on Friday, August 25, 2017 at 11:00 a.m., with a Celebration of Kathleen’s life to follow at 2:00 p.m. at the Calgary Golf and Country Club.

Flowers are respectfully declined, however, if friends so desire, a memorial donation may be made in Kathleen’s name directly to the Alberta Society of Artists (1235 26 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2G 1R7).

Messages of remembrance may be left for the family at www.southcalgaryfuneralcentre.ca