Mildred "Jean" Johnson Perry

Mildred “Jean” Johnson Perry, age 90, passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, in Edmonds, Washington. She was with family at the time of her death. Jean was born on January 13, 1936, in Jacksonville, Florida to Eugene and Mildred Johnson. Her only sibling, Dorothy Lee (Johnson) McEvoy, preceded her in death.

Early Life: Jacksonville, Florida to Washington State

Jean was very close to her family growing up, and she idolized her father. She was active in Rainbow Girls growing up, and she graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in Jacksonville in 1953. She married her first husband, James Lester Butler, Jr. (Jimmy), in 1954. Jean accompanied Jimmy on his Army assignment in Germany from 1955-1958 and did a fair amount of traveling in Europe before Jean had her first child, James Lee Butler (Jim), on Thanksgiving Day 1957, before moving back to Jacksonville in February 1958.

After a short period back in Jacksonville, Jean and Jimmy moved to Washington State in 1960; she never left. They settled in Lynnwood, and Johanna Lynn Butler (Jo) joined the family in May 1961. In 1967, Jean and Jimmy divorced.

Marriage to Jim Perry; a Move to Shoreline to Raise Their Family

On the night after the divorce became final in July 1967, Jean met a young Air Force veteran, James Edward Perry (Jim). They hit it off immediately and were married on May 3, 1969, and remained married for 57 years until Jean’s death.

Jean and Jim moved to Shoreline in 1969, with Susan Elizabeth Perry and David Frederick Perry (Dave) joining the family in August 1972 and February 1974, respectively. Jean and Jim raised their family of six in their Shoreline home where they stayed until 2018, when they moved to a condo just up the hill in North City proper. In 2023, they moved a few miles north to the Vineyard, an assisted living community, where they lived until Jean’s death.

A Woman of Faith: Lifelong Episcopalian

Jean was baptized in the Episcopal Church as a newborn, and the Episcopal faith remained a central tenet of hers for her entire life. She joined the St. David congregation in Shoreline, WA shortly after moving to Lynnwood. She remained an active member of St. David for more than 65 years, during which time she served virtually every lay position imaginable at St. David, including serving as the church secretary there and later at Trinity Episcopal Church on First Hill in Seattle.

As an extension of her faith, Jean and Jim were active in Marriage Encounter for approximately 20 years, including being area leaders for much of that time. Until recently, Jean was still helping with the weekly service program at St. David; she attended her Bible study group the day before she passed.

Family First

Jean loved her family fiercely and she was so proud of it; she frequently commented how lucky she was to have four children and an extended family that remained so close over the decades. Family reunions, with everyone piled into one house in eastern Washington, were some of her proudest moments, and she was already campaigning for another one next summer.

All four of Jean’s kids fondly remember her customized birthday cakes, Friday Manhattan and peanut nights, and family meals, both breakfast at O-Dark-30 and dinner. Jean was always fully present for her children, be it around the house, school meetings, performances, and/or sporting events, which ranged from pushing Susan and then Dave in a stroller at Jim’s Shoreline cross country meets to watching Dave’s Shorecrest soccer matches 18 years later, with countless soccer matches and band concerts for Jo, Susan, and Dave, and school events for all four kids thrown into the mix.

Like everyone, Jean was human and not perfect. She was opinionated and never shy about sharing it with family, friends, and anyone who wasn’t doing things the way she thought things should be done. You could depend on the fact that you knew Jean loved you, but it wasn’t always easy, and her disapproval often stung more than she realized.

Jean had eight grandchildren (ranging from age 14 to 39) and two great grandchildren (ages 13, 6 months). She was a major presence in their lives whether they lived 30 minutes or 3,000 miles away. Whether it was watching the grandkids so that the parents could go on vacation, babysitting for a day/night, coming to visit, or attending school and/or sporting events, Jean was always ready to spend quality time with her grandkids.

While all the time she spent with her grandkids would have been top tier for most involved grandparents, Jean also took time to stay close to them via seemingly small gestures such as regular calls, birthday cards, etc. as well as grand gestures such as making photo books to commemorate trips, and making quilts for each grandchild to mark major events such as graduation.

Hobbies and Activities

Jean was a lifelong reader, a voracious reader, in fact. She read all types of books, but mysteries were her favorite genre, with Agatha Cristie and JA Jance being two of her favorite authors. She loved making custom cakes, mostly for her children and grandchildren’s birthdays, but for other special occasions as well.

Jean loved to sew, both for her herself and for her children and grandchildren. After she retired, she took up quilting, making beautiful and loving quilts and related items for herself and family; she took special joy in making quilts for her grandchildren to commemorate special occasions such as birthdays and graduating from high school.

Jean and Jim enjoyed numerous activities together over years. One constant was playing bridge with friends, an activity they enjoyed right up until Jean’s death. In the early days, they participated in bowling leagues together. After Jim retired, they really enjoyed water aerobics, making many new friends in the process. They also enjoyed many an outing, often with family, to Mariner games.

Jim and Jean also enjoyed getting out and traveling. In addition to regular trips to Virginia and Texas to visit children Jim and Jo, respectively, and to Florida to visit Jean’s family, they took a number of major trips over the years. Some highlights include visiting Alaska, the UK, where Jean looked into her family roots, visits to national parks on both sides of the continent, and a cruise through the Panama Canal.

Lasting Memory and Survivors

Jean is survived by her:

Husband of 57 years, Jim Perry

Four children, Jim Butler (Laura) of Reston, VA, Jo Butler (Dawna) of Parker, TX, Susan Crow (Ed) of Puyallup, WA, Dave Perry (Cindy) of Everett, WA

Eight grandchildren, Jeff Butler (Emalee) of Frierson, LA, Emily Butler of Richmond, VA, Cassandra Crow of Bellingham, WA, Megan Perry of Ashland, OR, Travis Crow of Puyallup, WA, Drew Perry of Everett, WA, Ella Crow of Puyallup, WA, and Hunter Hubert of Parker, TX

Two great grandchildren, Mathis Butler and Baker Butler of Frierson, LA

Memorial Service on October 30th

A memorial service will be held on Friday, October 30, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at St. David Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 18842 Meridian Ave N, Shoreline, WA 98133. Immediately following the service, the family invites you to join them for a reception.

Private interment to follow at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you donate to the Medic One Foundation, supporting paramedic training and more in Shoreline and throughout King County.