John Joseph Perno

Though John would likely have said, “Don’t tell ‘em sh*t,” here are the highlights of a life very well lived:

John Joseph Perno passed away peacefully at home, with his loving wife Maeve by his side, on Saturday, March 11, 2023. He was 81 years old.

John was born in Queens, NY on May 3, 1941 to parents Grace (Bonaventura) and John Joseph Perno, Sr. He spent his childhood in the Ravenswood neighborhood of Queens in the shadow of the Queensboro/59th Street Bridge and enjoyed summers with his family in Mastic Beach on Long Island.

In 1958, at 17 years old, John took a train to South Carolina to begin boot camp on Parris Island. He was a proud U.S. Marine and dedicated Air National Guard reservist, retiring from military service as a master sergeant at age 60.

John was a UPS driver (with Carol Burnett and Bela Lugosi as customers!), spent 20 years as a New York City firefighter, and owned a successful construction company. In 2006, he and Maeve moved to Callawassie Island, South Carolina for a well-deserved retirement.

John was an avid traveler who visited seven continents. He spent every Sunday cooking his pasta sauce. He loved fishing, clamming, boating, and sailing on Moriches Bay and throughout the Caribbean; golfing; skeet and trap shooting; doing the Jumble daily puzzle; growing tomatoes; his birds (ducks and purple martins!); his many loyal dogs; and the sound of a ticking clock.

Above all, John valued family. He is survived by his wife; sister, Marlene; four children, Laura, John III, Thomas, and Joseph; three stepchildren, Cara, Amy, and Mark; 16 grandchildren; five great grandchildren; and many more family members and friends. In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial donations to the American Heart Association, Wounded Warrior Project, and/or the ASPCA.