Barbara Jean Perret, 70
Barbara Jean Perret, 70 of Orange Park, FL passed away Monday, September 5, 2016. Mrs. Perret was a lifelong resident of the Jacksonville area and a member of Riverside Avenue Christian Church and the Elder Stephen Ministry. She graduated from Lee High School and graduated Magna cum Laude from UNF with a degree in Communications and Advertising. Following her graduation, Barbara ran her business, Perret Enterprises. She loved working with her computer so much she was referred to as a “computer nerd”. Barbara was the sweetest wife in the world and was dearly loved by her husband Bill.
Mrs. Perret is survived by her husband William “Bill” Perret, son, Gregory (Dayna) Perret, sister, Jane (William) Littlejohn, two grandchildren, Cameron and Nolan, brother-in-law, Gene “Bud” (Joyce) Perret and nieces and nephews, Jennifer Littlejohn, John (Jay) Littlejohn and Jeni Jaquet.
Memorial Services will be held 3:00 PM Sunday, September 18, 2016 in Riverside Avenue Christian Church, Jacksonville, FL with Rev. Fred Woolsley officiating. The family will receive friends from 2:30 until services begin. There will be a reception following services.
In lieu of flowers, the family request that memorials be made to: American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org
Arrangements are under the care of Russell Haven of Rest Cemetery, Funeral Home and Cremation Center, 2335 Sandridge Road, Green Cove Springs, FL 32043. Family and friends may share their condolences at: www.RHRFH.com 904-284-7720
This was written by Barbara:
This Week’s Spotlight is on Barbara and Bill Perret.
Barbara and Bill joined Riverside Avenue Christian Church in July of 1997. The two had visited our church off and on for “four or five years,” reported Barbara. “We had been members of First Christian when it was located downtown,” she said. And they spent a few years visiting different churches in Jacksonville, finally returning to Riverside to join. As a matter of fact, Barbara and Bill joined RACC on the first Sunday that Rick Hull preached as a new minister.
Both Barbara and Bill were born in Jacksonville. Bill grew up on a dairy farm, Perrets’ Dairy in Dinsmore, Florida and graduated from Paxon High School. Barbara, being a city girl, graduated from Robert E. Lee High School. Bill went on to college after high school and graduated from the University of South Florida with a marketing degree while Barbara, after her high school graduation, went to work at Southeast Toyota Distributors. There she served as an executive assistant to the Vice-President as well as to the President when he was in town.
One day, the new Customer Relations Manager strode into her office. Just as she was about to explain something to him, the thought went through her mind: “I think this could be the one!” Yes, for Barbara it was love at first sight. It did not take Bill long, either. They dated a while and then were married in First Christian Church, when it was located downtown. Barbara explained that when she met Bill, she was a Catholic. Bill, however, led her to the Disciples church by suggesting one Sunday that they go to church together–the First Christian Church–and they’ve been going to church together on Sundays ever since.
While working for Toyota, Bill was ultimately promoted to District Service Manager. After several years, Bill went to work for the Porshe district office in Atlanta, Georgia. They lived in Atlanta for a year, Tampa five years, Tallahassee for six years, and then back to Jacksonville where they have stayed. Bill made a career change due to the development of a visual illness leaving him legally blind. He is now a self-employed independent contractor. Perret Enterprises contracts with the State of Florida Division of Blind Services, the Navy, several banks, several schools, and office buildings. The vending service places commercial-size vending machines wherever snacks, sodas, or food services are wanted or needed. Barbara now works with Bill by handling the needed paperwork associated with his job. She likes being able to work from her home office.
During the years when Barbara was employed as an executive assistant, she began to take classes, first at Florida Junior College (as it was called then) and later at University of North Florida. “It took me twenty-six years to get my degree in communications and advertising!” she exclaimed. Moreover, she graduated Magna cum Laude, and, she added, “I graduated without borrowing any money, no student loans, no other person’s financial help. I did it while working and going to school when I could, and I paid for my education myself.” Barbara is proud of her accomplishment, and she should be! Her diligence and determination serve as motivation to all of us, particularly those who aspire to earning a college degree but are not recent high school graduates.
Barbara and Bill have been married 42 years now. They have one son, Greg, who lives in Southside. Greg has two sons, fifteen-year-old Cameron who is a student at Episcopal and five-year-old Nolan who attends Hendricks Ave. Day School. Together, Barbara and Bill enjoy playing golf. They own a home in Country Club of Orange Park and enjoy the club’s golf course as well as the other activities. Barbara said that they plan to take up Bunco in the near future because they have been told it is fun. She said she is eager to try it. They both like to read, favoring a good “who-done-it” or a David Baldacci novel. She especially enjoys a computer game called Candy Crush, and can play it on her tablet.
The two of them enjoy the church services at Riverside, and indeed, you will see them there almost every Sunday. Bill and Barbara have served RACC in various ways, both have been Deacons, both have been Elders, various chair positions as well as both are Stephen Ministers. Barbara explained that the people at Riverside are very friendly, and not just one or two people, she said. It seems to her that everybody is welcoming and friendly. One reason they decided to make Riverside their church home. She was impressed, too, when she and Bill first began to attend RACC that Betty Ryan, Sarah Parkinson, and Swann Knowles always welcomed her so warmly and always remembered her name.
The friends she has made at Riverside have been especially important to her in the past months as she has gone through two rounds of chemo-therapy for ovarian cancer. “And Bill has been my rock,” she added. “I couldn’t have done it without him.” Her cancer is in remission again and for that she is thankful. She explained to me that her experiences with cancer have helped her to grow spiritually and that now she feels as good mentally as she has ever felt in her life.
We are certainly thankful for Barbara and her rock-like Bill. The strength of their faith and their commitment to the church serve as inspiration to all us. We are very, very glad to have them in our congregation at Riverside Avenue Christian Church as examples of discipleship.