Donna Katherine Duffy Perricone, 96, passed away peacefully on Sunday, October 15, 2017. Mrs. Perricone, a native Houstonian, was born on February 2, 1921, to Francis Joseph and Katherine Robinson Duffy. Katherine was preceded in death by her husband of fifty years, Ross Perricone, her son Michael Perricone, and her sisters Lorraine Duffy Gibbons, Frances Duffy Mosher, and Patricia Zapp Horn. She is survived by her daughter-in-law Brenda Perricone of Clear Lake, granddaughter Ashley Perricone Staniforth and husband Graham of Austin, great-grandson Ethan Staniforth of Austin, brother-in-law Jim Horn and wife Sharen of Houston, and a host of loving nieces and nephews: Michelle Horn, Joel Mosher, John Tristan Mosher, Aimée Katherine Koch and husband Steve, Mary Susan Hoffman and husband David, Byron Mosher and wife Ellen, Pamela Bray and husband Lloyd, Billy Gibbons and wife Gilligan.In addition to being a woman of great poise and elegance, Katherine was also a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and member of the work force. She took great pride in her career at Hughes Tool Company, which spanned 38 years of service. Upon joining the company when the United States entered World War II and women began to replace men in the job market, Katherine was only the second female employed in the Personnel Department. She retired as an executive secretary and carried with her cherished memories and the knowledge of a job well done in a time of such historic change.
Upon retirement from Hughes Tool Co., Katherine spent the rest of her life in the volunteer community. As someone who held deep value for civic duty, she found great joy in serving the East End Chamber of Commerce, The Heritage Society of Houston, the Republican Women's Organization, the St. Paul the Apostle Welcome Committee, the Nassau Bay Garden Club, and the Idylwood Garden Club.
Katherine Perricone will be remembered most for her infectious smile, her unparalleled skills as a seamstress, her love of history and travel, her grace under pressure, and her fierce dedication to the people and passions she held dear. Friends and family will celebrate Katherine’s life on October 21, 2017, at noon with a funeral service officiated by Father Wincel Pavlovsky of St. Paul the Apostle Catholic Church at Forest Park Cemetery, Lawndale, followed by a graveside service.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to Trudy Lampson and the staff at La Vita Bella Assisted Living along with Traditions Hospice for their outstanding care of Katherine during her final season of life.
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