Deborah Kay Perry

Deborah Kay Perry, 59, of Zionsville, Indiana, passed away on November 1st (All Saints Day), 2021. She
was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana to Kenneth and Ellen Gast on July 18th, 1962.

Deb went to Emmanuel – St. Michael Lutheran School, Homestead High School, and Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne all in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She was President of Delta Gamma Sorority at IPFW where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting.

While at IPFW, Deb lured her now-husband, Deacon Tim, by playing his favorite band, Genesis, in the Walb Memorial Student Union building while he was with his fraternity brothers in the next room. Tim and Deb’s relationship solidified at a Halloween party where she conspired with a friend to put her and Tim on a hayride together, and he casually mentioned his “hands were cold” in a (successful) gambit to hold her hand.

Tim and Deb were wed on November 30th, 1985 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana. They eventually moved to Broad Ripple, Indiana where they had both children, Jacqueline and Jared, who were baptized at Christ the King Catholic Church, and where Deb also came into the Catholic Church in 1989. After 10 years, the family of four moved to their permanent home in Zionsville, Indiana where both children attended Union Elementary, Zionsville Middle, and Zionsville High Schools. Deb volunteered at these schools multiple times per week and had a huge role planning the larger events.

Deb was an outstanding wife, mother, daughter, sister, godmother, friend, artist, crafter, power-tool lover, gift-giver, volunteer, religious education teacher, seamstress, and traveler. She was always ready and available to help anyone in need at the drop of a hat and would do anything for her children and loved-ones. Deb loved making gifts for others, especially embroidered clothing, towels, and more. She joyfully took up the interests of those that she loved so she could share those experiences with them. Deb loved traveling with her family and was particularly enthusiastic about planning these trips. She enjoyed relaxing with her family at their lake cottage for long weekends on Big Long Lake in LaGrange County. She took many trips with Tim to Italy and they renewed their wedding vows at Cana in the Holy Land in 2018. Deb and Tim took their children on many trips as well to Italy, Spain, and most recently the Smoky Mountains.

Deb was one of the first 10 employees at Vera Bradley in Ft. Wayne. She worked most recently at Saint Maria Goretti Catholic Church in Westfield, IN for the last 17 years as a bookkeeper. She and her family were parishioners there for 23 years until Tim was ordained a Permanent Deacon in the diocese of Lafayette, when they became parishoners at St. Alphonsus Liguori Catholic Church in Zionsville, IN.

She is survived by her husband, Deacon Timothy Perry; children Jacqueline and Jared Perry. Father, Kenneth Gast; mother, Ellen Gast; sister, Celeste (Mark) Sholl; brother, Phil (Kim) Gast, all of Ft. Wayne. Numerous brother and sister-in-laws, nieces and nephews.

Deborah’s ceremonies will be as follows:
Visitation Friday November, 5th
Flanner Buchanan – Zionsville Funeral and Cremation
105 W. Pine St.
Zionsville, IN 46077
(317) 873-3366
Family Only 3:30 – 4:00 PM
Public Visitation 4:00 – 8:00 PM
Vigil at 7:30 PM
The family has requested visitors to wear masks.
Funeral Saturday, November 6th
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church
1870 W Oak St
Zionsville, IN 46077
United States
Visitation 9:00-10:00 AM
Mass of Christian Burial 10:00-11:00 AM

The family has requested visitors to wear masks.
Celebration of Life at the Perry home after service.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Permanent Diaconate fund of the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, Catholic Relief Services, or for Masses for the repose of her soul.