A funeral Mass for Mickey Perry, age 78, was held Dec. 18 at All Saints Church.
Ms. Perry was a school teacher for 30 years, having first taught at Rule High School in Knoxville before joining West High School, and then Knoxville Catholic High School for the last 10 years of her career.
Mrs. Perry was born on Aug. 28, 1943, in Washington, D.C., as the only child of Frank and Betty Schitzler, German immigrants who fled Nazi Germany. She was born three months premature, and a family friend said she looked like a little Mickey Mouse. That name stuck and Betty Anne was forever known as Mickey.
She cherished a number of significant events in her life, among them summers spent traveling across the United States and Canada as well as at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, and other summers spent visiting relatives in Germany and seeing European landmarks. Tony Bennett sang “Happy Birthday” to her on her 17th birthday and gave her a kiss that she always remembered.
Her greatest love was her family. Left to cherish her memory are her husband of more than 50 years, Charles; three sons: Rick, Chris, and Jason; daughter Susan; and seven grandchildren: Jake, Patrick, Dawson, Justin, Ellie, Brennen, and Braxton.
Mrs. Perry was a devoted Catholic, but illness kept her away from church and her church family for many years. Donations to a favorite charity may be made in Mrs. Perry’s name.
