Celena Carroll Perry, 89, died Friday, Nov. 1, 2024 in her home in Northglenn, Colo., surrounded by her family after a courageous battle with cancer.

Celena was born on Oct. 30th, 1935, in Lake Charles, La.  She moved to Westlake, La. with her late parents, Charles and Marian Carroll, when she was two and this is where she spent the majority of her youth. She was active in her church, First Baptist Church of Westlake and sang in a trio as well as the choir. She graduated in 1954 as a Westlake Ram and attended McNeese State University.  She also lived in New Orleans and worked for Southern Airlines as a stewardess and worked as a teller for Gulf National Bank.  She also taught piano lessons for several years before completing her degree in Vocal Music Performance at McNeese.

In 1970 she married Joseph Perry, the “bee” man, and they quickly started their family and had three kids, Marian, Joey and Charlie.  She spent much of her time raising her kids, and taking care of her aging parents.  She was very active in her church, First Presbyterian Church of Lake Charles, and sang in the choir for many years, taught Sunday School, served on various committees, and was an elder in the Presbyterian Church.

After her children moved on to college, she joined Masterworks Chorale and sang in various choirs in the Lake Charles area.  She volunteered with the Memorial Hospital Auxiliary for almost 30 years, serving as a patient representative and then later working in the Memorial gift shop. Anyone who knew her, saw her love of connecting with people, and no one was a stranger.  She also loved jewelry and shopping and she was always impeccably dressed.  She was often known as “the queen bee” because of her husband Joseph’s occupation as a beekeeper.

In 2017 she moved to Colorado in order to be closer to two of her children, though her affection for her home state, Louisiana, never wavered. She often commented that she missed the food and the humidity! She made many friends in her independent living facility, Belmar Independent Living.  Six months ago she made the decision to move in with her daughter and thoroughly enjoyed her remaining time with her grandchildren.

Celena is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 36 years, Joseph J. Perry; her siblings, Mearl June and Charles Miller Carroll; and her beloved grandson, Lorenzo Lerma Perry.  She is survived by her sister, Shirley Courtney of Westlake, La., three children, Marian Perry (Jorge Lerma Santiago) of Northglenn, Colo., Joseph Perry (Elizabeth) of Katy, Texas, and Charles Perry (Laura) of Westminster, Colo.  She thoroughly enjoyed spending time with her grandkids:  Joseph Lerma Perry, Natalia Lerma Perry, Anna Perry, Madelyn Perry and Colton Perry.

A memorial service will be held in Colorado at 2 p.m. on Nov. 30 , 2024 at Village at Belmar in Lakewood, Colo.  A memorial service will be held in Lake Charles, La. with details and a date to be announced. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Cancer Society.  https://donate.cancer.org. 

Words of comfort and memories can be shared with the family at memo riesofcelena@gmail.com.