Jean Nilan Perillo

Jean Nilan Perillo left this version of Earth and moved on to the celestial Hawaii as she so fervently wished on December 30th of 2025. Born on the 4th of July ninety-four years ago in the quiet, happy little borough of Kennett Square in Chester County, PA. Right out of Kennett Consolidated High School, young Jean regularly took The Short Line bus from Kennett to The Big City of Wilmington, Delaware to work as a clerk at Eckerd's Drug Store on Market Street. Jean stayed in Delaware for the next seventy-four years. The mother of six - five boys and one bemused girl, Jean was predeceased by her husband, bartender and sometime lottery policy writer, Joe Perillo, and second son, Nicky.

That sibling line-up is as follows: Joey, Nicky, Richard (Dorothy), Jeannie, Christopher, David and de facto adopted son, Bobby Blanton (Sue). Ten grand-children, nine great-grand-children…countless in-laws…two dogs she adored over the years, Missy and Henny. Jean (hereinafter referred to as Mom) was known and loved by all especially the members of the vast Perillo clan and the patrons of Casa Angela Cafe and Gallucio's bar and restaurant where she worked as a waitress for over fifty years. Jean reluctantly retired at age eighty-four, not because she wanted to but because the new ownership altered the menu and the regular crowd no longer shuffled in. Mom never drove and took the bus to work every day, sometimes stopping at the Acme in Trolley Square to get a few things and walk on over to Lovering Avenue to work. Most nights son Richard would pick her up and bring her to her home in Bellefonte where she lived for almost 30 years. Mom raised her six kids in a solid row house on Clayton Court in (then) not so hard-scrabble Edgemoor Gardens where she had lived for over forty years. Mom was a non affiliated, non religious Protestant of some sort who married Joe, a non affiliated, non religious Roman Catholic by baptism, and Mom made sure each of her kids did all they were supposed to do as Born and Raised little Catholics. Back then any such a heathen had to promise the diocese she would do so and By All That's Holy - she did! St. Helena's School, First Holy Communion, Confirmation - all the popish ecclesiastical boxes checked.

Mom was a waitress, which is quite fitting, if not ironic as Mom spent her whole life taking care of others. Much was asked of Mom and often. Mom was always there for everyone, always smiling. More than once, in the later days Mom thought about it all and said, "I had a good life, a happy life."

Mom was unassuming, while she did like to "get her hair done" once in a while, mom was not one for niceties such as manicures and the like, though she did have her nails done for Jeannie's wedding. That may have been the one and only time. "I'm just not into that," mom said when asked. Mom stayed busy. When she wasn't painting the house or refinishing the hardwood floors (on her knees, scraping with a razor blade or cleaning everything, everywhere (sometimes nursing a can of Piels, listening to Barbra Streisand or John Gary or Eddy Arnold), Mom did crochet - snowflakes, Snowman for the top of a liqueur bottle, intricate detail - so many people have something mom made, so colorful, so perfectly done…perfect like her remarkable pencil sketches of movie stars she had tucked away in a box. Magnificent work. In a box, a talent never revisited past high school.

Mom took care of the kids and everything else - always working. But Mom got to travel with her best friend in life, Aunt Ann and Uncle Danny - Mom traded the olfactory splendor of the DuPont pigment plant on the Delaware for the not so visible air in Cancun, Amsterdam, Panama City, Lake Tahoe, Los Angeles, Monterrey, et al.

For many years Mom went to Dewey Beach for two weeks, always staying in the same homey cottage on Saulbury Street with the outdoor shower - the place looked to have been built in the 1940s. Mom loved that place and the beach, the sun.

The sprawling Perillo family became her family - to this day. They loved and will always love AJ - Aunt Jean.

Some of the hundreds of cousins will remember how Mom and Aunt Rosie played Scrabble over the phone for hours in the 1960s. Over the phone. Busy line for hours.

Reading - mom was seldom without a book in her hand or folded at a page on the table. Mysteries, mostly. P.D. James and that lot. Then Word Searches. I do believe mom found them all. Every last word.

At some time Mom decided to have a festive gathering at her home the night after Thanksgiving - many people always came - mom worked for days to have plenty of food for all - including separate batches of everything of the gluten free variety. People still talk about those halcyon days.

Mom was strong, very strong. Quietly strong. Mom took care of so many people as their health declined, all the while taking care of everything in the house and her kids.

Mom enjoyed relatively good health until the clock started to wind down as she passed the ninety-year mark, some difficult, painful treatments and a complete change in living circumstances the final couple of years yet mom didn't complain (oh, she was not always the most patient patient but…) - mom smiled and was happy to see her visitors and let them know, always.

Such a life, a good life, a happy life, says mom.

A life of love. Aloha, momma, aloha.

A celebration of mom will be held sometime in the Spring. Interment will be private.