Jane Ellen Perry

While she always considered herself a native Californian, Jane was actually born in Grand Rapids, Michigan. When she was seven, her family moved to Burbank, California. She graduated from Burbank High School and attended Glendale Community College where she met the love of her life, Gene Perry. They married after graduation in 1950, and in 1959, moved to Cupertino where they raised their family. With her daughters grown and out of the house, she went to work at Tymshare, one of the early “high tech” companies where she had a front row seat in the growth of the Silicon Valley (the company was located across the street from a small startup – Apple) and she loved sharing stories of her observations of history in the making.

Gene and Jane were avid boaters on the Delta and active members in the Diablo Yacht Club. When Gene retired in 1985, they moved to Discovery Bay, where they moored their boat in their backyard dock and set off on many adventures.

When Gene passed away in 1990, Jane focused her energies on her local community by joining a local Lion’s club, a garden club, the women’s fellowship at St Anne, a luncheon group and so much more. Not content to just volunteer she was a leader – she was a charter member of the Byron Delta Lion’s Club and rose through the ranks to ultimately be District Governor in 2009. She had many passion projects with the Lions including the Special Kid’s Day, Vision Screening in local schools and the student speaker contest as well as sitting on the board of the Lions Center for the Visually Impaired in Pittsburg. She was a founding member of the Discovery Bay Garden Club, eventually serving as president. She was a long-standing member of the Women’s Fellowship at St. Anne Catholic Church in Byron (also serving as President), where she was active with Wine in the Bay, Crab Feed, and the Food Bank. In her spare time, she loved to read, garden, bake sugary treats, and visit thrift stores from Livermore to Stockton.

She is survived by her daughters, Laura Perry and Martha Piazza, son-in-law, Tony, granddaughters Adriana and Carina and rescue cat Pooky.

From a tribute by her Lions Club: She will be remembered for her unwavering passion, strong work ethic, exemplary leadership and steadfast faith.

Services to celebrate her life will be held July 12, 2024 at 11 am at St. Anne Catholic Church in Byron with a reception to follow. Her legacy can be honored with a contribution to St. Anne Catholic Church, Byron Delta Lions Foundation (attention: Linda Barbara) or East Contra Costa Homeless Animals Lifeline Organization (HALO).