Tributes

Brenda Dale Ganous Perna, loving mother, beloved sister, and Nana to two beautiful grandsons passed away peacefully at the age of 75 on Tuesday, January 4th, 2022 after a life well lived. She is survived by her two daughters, Cindy Perna and Belinda George, Belinda’s husband Sean, grandsons Colby and Owen George; Sister Vicky Fiscus and her husband Paul Fiscus; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and other family and friends who loved her dearly. She also leaves behind her 8-year-old golden retriever Sophie, who will miss her very much. She was preceded in death by her soulmate and husband of 38 years James E. Perna, father Riley William Ganous, mother Mary Estelle Mason Ganous, and brother James Howard Ganous. Brenda was just 15 when she first laid eyes on the gangly, teenage Italian boy with dark eyes and a mop of black curls, who was later to become her husband of 38 years. She played hard to get at first, but they fell in love, and she knew she had found her soulmate in Jimmy Perna. They married in 1965 when she was 18 and her younger sister Vicky was her Maid of Honor. She later became a Navy wife when Jim enlisted in the service and they moved to San Diego, California where he was stationed. She adored her sailor husband and the two exchanged love letters and photos while he was away at sea. By 1969 she was pregnant with their first child and while just weeks away from birth, Brenda and Jim made the long drive from San Diego to San Antonio, Texas where they would make their home. Brenda soon gave birth to their first daughter Cindy, who had a mop of curls just like her dad. The happy couple worked and prospered in San Antonio, and a few years later they were overjoyed again when she gave birth to a second daughter, Belinda. Brenda went back to school and graduated from San Antonio College with a degree in Nursing, and her family couldn’t have been more proud. She worked at Laurel Ridge Treatment Center for many years until she retired in 2018. Sundays at the Perna house were often loud and noisy affairs, as her and Jim cheered on their favorite football team, the Dallas Cowboys. This was something Brenda carried on to the end, even after her beloved Jim had died. Clad in a Dallas Cowboys shirt, sitting in her Cowboys stadium chair, with a Cabbage Patch Doll in a Cowboys uniform alongside a statue of St. Jude (Patron Saint of Lost Causes), the whooping and yelling in the house could be heard down the street. Brenda and Jim were active in the Christopher Columbus Italian Society for many years where she met many of her dearest friends with whom she would remain close until her passing. She also served a term as the President of the CCIS Ladies Auxiliary, and time spent with her Italian friends were some of her fondest memories. When her husband Jim passed away in 2002, she was utterly heartbroken and bereft. She remained in a deep funk for years, until she met Larry Beauchamp who became her treasured companion for almost 15 years, until his passing in 2019. Her proudest moments later in life was being present for the birth of both her grandsons. The proud grandmother even cut the umbilical cord for Colby in 2006 and Owen in 2008. She adored her grandsons and loved being “Nana”, her big smile in every picture with her grandsons beaming with the love she had for them. Brenda loved to travel and enjoyed going on cruises. During her last overseas trip, she traveled to Italy which had always been a lifetime dream of hers. She loved playing cards, especially Liverpool Rummy with her sister and brother-in-law. At the end, she died peacefully, surrounded by the love of her family, and holding the hand of her youngest daughter, as she passed on to the arms of her waiting husband, her beloved Jimmy Perna. She was loved by her family and friends and will be dearly missed by those who knew her. Visitation will begin on Wednesday, January 12, 2022 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Mission Park Funeral Chapels South. Funeral service will begin on Thursday, January 13, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Mission Burial Park South. For personal acknowledgement, you may sign the online guestbook at www.missionparks.com in the obituary section.

Tributes

Brenda D. Perna

December 31, 1946 - January 4, 2022