Mary Johnson Perry

Mary Ellen Johnson Perry, 60, of Goldsboro, NC passed away on August 6, 2023.

Mary was born December 1, 1962, on George Airforce Base in California to Harold and Sally Johnson. Throughout her years, she was known for her sense of humor, heart of gold, and infectious laugh.  Mary was known for her wit and jokingly referred to as the “cat lady”.  There was nothing Mary held closer to her heart than her family and her fur babies. 

In 1986 she married the love of her life, Gary Perry.  In marrying Gary, she gained a daughter, Suzanne who she loved as her very own.  Mary and Gary loved good food, listening to live music and dancing.  In 1991, they welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Nolan Ray. Nolan was her pride and joy, and she couldn’t even say his name without a smile coming across her face. She was proud of the man he has grown to be, and she would rightfully boast about all of his accomplishments.

Mary was the middle child of three girls and brought the perfect balance to the sisterhood.  She treasured her childhood memories with her sisters, and always looked forward to making new memories with them. Mary loved her sister time which included all day shopping at Hobby Lobby, manicures, and so many laughs.  She always believed that sister time was some of the best time. 

Mary was always considered the “cool aunt”.  She would go out of her way to make sure she had the best snacks and movies to watch if she was babysitting.  All of her nieces and nephews remember spending time with “Aunt Mary” and how special she made each of them feel.

Holidays were always important to her as they meant special memories with her loved ones and celebrating family traditions. She always wanted to make the holidays magical and extra special- especially for her “littles”. No holiday would be complete without her Mother’s recipes and a kitchen full of family.

She worked for E.J. Pope & Sons as a computer programmer for almost 30 years. Her co-workers were a mix of lifelong friends and new friends, all of whom became her extended family. She was always thinking of crafts she could make for her work family or looking forward to a night of Wine and Design with her “work crew”.

She was a 1981 graduate of South Lenoir and fondly remembered her time as a cheerleader and as Miss Merry Christmas. Mary was regarded by her classmates as a “beautiful soul”. 

Left to cherish her memories include her husband of 36 years Gary Perry, son Nolan Perry, stepdaughter Suzanne Wilkerson (Scott), grandson Jonathan Wilkerson, sisters Phyllis Burd (Randy), Nancy DeNooyer (Brian Hart).  Nieces and Nephews: Chad Perry (Renee), Denny Burd (Brandy), Kari Burd (Alex Spence), Olivia DeNooyer.  Great Niece and Nephews who she referred to as her “littles”: Sawyer, Brayden, Finnlee, Porter, and Mills.  And it cannot go without saying her “fur babies”: Binx, Boo, Pumpkin, and Pigweed.

She was welcomed with open arms by her parents Harold and Sally Johnson; her in-laws Walter and Lucille Perry; and nephew Nick Burd. Mary will be deeply missed by all those left behind, but her memory will live in our hearts forever.

The family will receive guests on Friday, August 11th from 7pm to 9pm at Pink Hill Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held on Saturday, August 12th at 11am at Pink Hill Funeral Home.  

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Sparkle Cat Rescue, 2779 S. Church St., Suite 164, Burlington, NC 27215 in Mary’s name.

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