BILLIE PERRY Obituary

BILLIE H. PERRY Billie Howard Perry, 94, of Honolulu passed away on April 30, 2023. She was born in Corpus Christi, Texas on November 17, 1928. In her lifetime, Billie was a performing vocalist, choir soprano, teacher, flight attendant, devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and friend. The daughter of a Baptist minister, Billie grew up in small towns in Texas and the South, before earning a bachelor's degree in music at Baylor University. Her independent nature and sense of adventure drew her to become a flight attendant. While working for United Airlines, she met her future husband, Gregg W. Perry. Their lives together took them to Honolulu, Chicago, California's Bay Area, and finally back to Honolulu in 1973, when Gregg began working for Alexander & Baldwin. Billie cared passionately about family and friends, music and the arts, and explored wide-ranging healing and health practices to benefit those she loved during her lifetime. She was a student of Reiki, Jin Shin Do, and Jungian psychology. She always remained curious and open about nontraditional approaches to health, healing, and spirituality. She was an opera season ticket holder, theater enthusiast, and enjoyed searching for shells and glass balls during beach walks with friends and her beloved dog, Sunny. Billie was a long-time resident of Kahala Nui, where she was known to all by her response, "Splendid" when asked how she was doing. She lived her senior years with remarkable independence and an approach to life that an admiring grandchild described simply as "spicy." Family and friends could always count on her for an unvarnished opinion, as well as empathy and support. She was also a devoted family archivist, preserving letters, photos, newspaper articles, and memorabilia that are now treasured by the family. She is survived by her loving family, including Rachel and David Bixby; Matthew and Luana Perry; James, Jessica, Louis, and Archer Perry; Wesley John Perry; Wesley Marshall, Ke'alohi, Haweo, and Kuha'o Perry; David Tyler, Kaitlyn, and Margot Bixby; Allison and Spencer Mitchell; and Madeline Bixby. She is predeceased by her husband Gregg Wesley and son Gregg Robinson Perry. A private family service is planned. Donations can be made in Billie's memory to PBS Hawaii, P.O. Box 29606, Honolulu, HI 96820-2006.