Mary R. Perrone's Obituary
Mary Perrone, 89, passed away peacefully after a long and full life on March 1, 2026, with her daughters by her side. Mary was born in Tampa on January 5, 1937, the second of Paul and Carmen DiPietra’s two children. She grew up in Ybor City and was proud of her Italian heritage. Mary attended Jefferson High School where she met the love of her life, Tony, and graduated in 1954. Mary worked for many years as administrative assistant at Hillsborough High School before retiring in 1997.
Mary was a devout Catholic and member of St. Lawrence Catholic Church since 1961. She was actively involved in the Tampa community being a member in several social and service clubs. Mary was a past member of Las Damas de Sant Yago, an honorary member of Davis Islands Garden Club, Red Hats and BBC Saturday Coffee Club. Some of her pleasures were the weekly card game at her friend Nora’s house with the “Golden Girls” and monthly luncheons with the “Birthday Group”.
Although she had a busy social life her main focus and joy came from spending time with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. She always made sure not to miss the many football games, baseball games and dance recitals. She was proud to be called “Nana” and was called that by her grandchildren and many of their friends. Mary treasured the relationship she had with her many cousins and friends, and the time that they frequently spent together. She always had a smile on her face and never met a stranger. Mary was a beautiful person both inside and out and will be terribly missed and never forgotten.
Mary was a beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She was preceded in death by her husband of 39 years Tony Perrone, her parents Paul and Carmen DiPietra and brother Joe DiPietra. She is survived by her daughters, Toni Marie Perrone and Patty Gonzalez-Roel, grandchildren AJ Gonzalez-Roel, Teresa Alvarez (Dax) and great grandchildren Vincent Gonzalez-Roel, Luna, Luca and Rocco Alvarez. She is also survived by Janet Cruz (Vincent’s mother) and her best friend of over 75 years Nora Lamb.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, March 6, 2026, at St. Lawrence Catholic Church, 5225 N. Himes Ave. A family visitation will be held in Higgins Hall Concourse at 10:00 am followed by a Catholic Mass in the church at 11:30 am. Internment immediately following at Centro Asturiano Memorial Park, 5400 E Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. A Celebration of Life gathering will be held in Mary’s honor beginning at 2:00 pm at Centro Asturiano de Tampa, 1913 N Nebraska Avenue, Tampa, FL 33602. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Mary’s name to either the Tampa Catholic High School, Tuition Assistance Fund, 4630 N Rome Ave, Tampa, FL 33603 or Metropolitan Ministries, 2002 N. Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602.
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