Mary C. Perry, 96, of Southbury, died peacefully Monday May 23, 2016 at the Watermark at East Hill with family at her side. She was the wife of the late Richard Chapman Perry.
Mary was born December 9, 1919 in Canandaigua, NY to Elam Cross Curtis and Marjorie Hosford Garlock Curtis and grew up in Niagara Falls. She was predeceased by two brothers Robert C. Curtis and Richard O. Curtis and a sister Julia Curtis Brooks. After high school she attended the University of Rochester to study music. On the untimely death of her father in 1939, she had to withdraw from school and moved with her mother to Lakeland, FL. There she auditioned for and was awarded a Louise Homer Scholarship that enabled her to continue her musical studies at Florida Southern College. After school, she moved to New York City to work and audition at the Juilliard School when she was introduced to Richard Chapman Perry. They were married at Riverside Church on January 20, 1945. Mary is survived by her daughter Anne Perry Yamatsui of Kobe, Japan; son Richard Curtis Perry of Southbury, CT and son-in-law John J. Hopkins of Roxbury, CT. She was predeceased by her daughter Janet Perry Hopkins of Garden City, NY and Roxbury, CT. She is survived by granddaughters Colleen Hopkins Grazioso of Milburn, NJ; Lauren Hopkins Lischer of Short Hills, NJ; Blythe Hopkins Macek of Jersey City, NJ; Haruko Yamatsui Tanikase of Amagasaki City, Japan; Michiko Yamatsui Nakamura of Fujisawa, Japan and grandson Todd Curtis Perry of Carrboro, NC. She had eleven great-grandchildren in the US and Japan. She was loved and cherished by her large family.
Mary and her husband Dick raised their family in Charleston, WV where she was a hospital volunteer and a soloist in the First Presbyterian Church choir. In 1966 they moved to New York City and later Danbury, CT when Dick's job with Union Carbide Corp. was transferred. This commenced a period after their children were launched of extensive world travel, much of it spent in Europe, England and libraries in Washington, DC doing genealogical research. In 1982 Dick retired and they moved to Southbury into the historic Moses Downs House just across the street from the South Britain Congregational Church. Mary became active with the church choir there as well as the Connecticut Choral Society. From 1983 to 1991, with Mary as researcher and Dick as editor, they published five extensive family genealogies - Perry, Curtis, Morris, Chapman and Garlock - along with many other historical stories. During this period Mary became head of the Library Committee of the Southbury Historical Society. In 2004 she received a Volunteer Service Award for over 20 years of service at the South Britain Library of Local History and Genealogy. Mary was an avid reader of books and the New York Times.

Memorials: Memorial contributions may be made to South Britain Congregational Church, P.O. Box 64, South Britain, CT 06487 or the Southbury Historical Society, P.O. Box 124, Southbury, CT 06488.

Cemetery: Cemetery Not Applicable

Location: Munson-Lovetere Southbury

Funeral: South Britain Congregational Church

Services: A memorial service will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday July 9, at South Britain Congregational Church on Route 172, Southbury, CT with a reception to follow in the church parish hall.