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Marliss Shannon (nee Clark) Perry

May 18, 2015

MarlissPerry.web

The family of Marliss Perry deeply regrets to announce her passing on May 18, 2015 at her home in Campbell River, BC, after a brave battle with lung cancer.

Marliss was born in Matsqui, BC on January 5, 1942 and lived in a variety of communities before moving to Quesnel when she was in grade 7. In 1959 she graduated from Quesnel High School. She married Gordon Llewellyn Perry on March 4, 1961 and was happily married to him for 54 years.

Marliss was a certified professional picture framer and, together with her husband Gordon, owned and operated Perry’s Picture Place for over 30 years until their retirement in 2012. In October, 2013 she moved with Gordon to a new home in Campbell River. She loved her new community, especially the ocean air and the milder winter weather!

During her nearly 50 years in Quesnel, Marliss was a much-loved and respected member of the community. She was honoured to be crowned Miss Quesnel 1959 and later served on the executive of the Miss Quesnel Self Development Society. As a young girl she became involved in the CGIT program and went on to become a dedicated CGIT leader. She was instrumental in helping organize two very successful high-school reunions and was also a member of the Museum and Heritage Commission for a number of years.

Marliss loved doing crossword puzzles (the more challenging, the better) and was a masterful Scrabble player known for her ability to score multiple points with the strategic placement of a single tile! She was an avid reader and fervently believed that no e-reader could replace the smell and feel of a “real” book. Her favourite TV shows included Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. She also enjoyed travelling whenever she could. In 2004 she fulfilled her dream of travelling to the Yukon and in 2011 she and Gordon celebrated their 50th anniversary on a Caribbean cruise.

Marliss’s life is celebrated by her husband Gordon; children Rae (Brad), Shannon (David), and Scott (Brandy); grandchildren Kevin, Matt, Hans, Amy (Bryan), Jared (Miranda) and Andrea (David); twin brothers Fred (Pat) and Ted; and sister Dianne (Richard); as well as numerous extended family members and cherished friends.

At Marliss’s request, an informal gathering to celebrate her life is planned for Sat., June 13th at the home of Wayne and Honey Affleck, 679 Wilson Street, Quesnel. Please feel free to drop in anytime between 1:30 to 4:30 pm.

One of the oncologists at the Vancouver Island Cancer Centre in Victoria told us that lung cancer research is seriously underfunded even though lung cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer for both men and women in Canada and the five year survival rate for lung cancer is just 14-20% according to Canadian Cancer Society statistics. In light of this, the family respectfully requests that donations be made to the Canadian Cancer Society in lieu of flowers. Donations in Marliss’s memory can be made online at http://www.cancer.ca/en/?region=bc or mailed to 565 W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, BC, V5Z 4J4. Please ask that your donation be designated for lung research. Thank you!