Charmaine Margaret Perera

Charmaine Margaret Perera, 72, of Richmond, Virginia passed away unexpectedly on January 12, 2016. She was preceded in death by her father Benedict, mother Josephine and brother Maurice Perera. Charmaine is survived by her husband of 49 years, Francis Perera; son Christopher Perera and his wife Shannon Snider, daughter Estelle Perera, son Jeffrey Perera, daughter Cheryl Perera Kaplan and her husband David Kaplan, along with her three grandsons Alexander, Zachary, and Ryan Kaplan. She is also survived by her brother Eric Perera and sister Maureen Jayasinghe of Melbourne, Australia and nieces and nephews including Gerry, Maryse, Shya, Natasha, and Shireen. Born on June 10, 1943, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Charmaine studied English at the University of Colombo. After marrying her closest lifelong friend and childhood sweetheart Francis Perera, she worked as an English teacher and as a nurse in a medical clinic in Sri Lanka. When an opportunity for Francis arose in the United States, Charmaine and their two young children moved to the US, settled in Richmond, and became proud American citizens. Never failing to see the good in people, Charmaine was described as “mother to all”, and those privileged to have known her recall her as one of the most loving and selfless individuals they encountered—her empathy boundless, her kindness genuine and automatic. Charmaine’s devotion to her family, church, and community touched the hearts of everyone she met, and her husband, children, and grandchildren were of paramount importance. As an extremely dedicated wife, mother, and grandmother, she nurtured not only her children but also her children’s friends by supporting their endeavors and inspiring them to follow their dreams. Consistently approaching life with vigor, enthusiasm, and a zest for adventure, Charmaine encouraged her children to embrace art, music and sports including waterskiing, soccer, snow sports, and car racing, to name a few. She cherished flowers and gardening, and her passion for the arts and sciences remain alive in her children and family thanks to Charmaine’s guidance and tutelage. A highly spiritual person with great faith in God, she was an active member of St. Michael’s parish who devoted her “free time” and energies to charities such as Little Sisters of the Poor. Charmaine’s love was the glue that bound the Perera family together, as her memory will for long after her passing. In lieu of flowers, donations in her name and memory may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor 1503 Michaels Road Henrico, VA 23229 or at www.littlesistersofthepoorVirginia.org. Her memorial service has been changed due to weather to 12:30 PM on Saturday January 30th at ST. MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL CATHOLIC CHURCH