Dolores June Perusse

Dolores June Perusse died surrounded by family the evening of December 11, 2014 at Life Care Center in Sandpoint, Idaho. She was 85 years old. Dolores was born on April 1, 1929 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the first child to parents Morton and Hazel (Kester) Leviton. Dolores was musically talented, starting piano lessons at an early age in Chicago, continuing lessons as a teenager in Phoenix, AZ and later, taking organ lessons at UC Davis in northern California. She played the organ at Sunday Mass for many years at the Sacred Heart Chapel in Clark Fork, Idaho. Dolores sang in various church choirs throughout her life, including Christ the King Catholic Church, Idaho Falls, during the late 60s and early 70s and St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Sandpoint during the late 1970s through the early 80s. Her heartfelt soprano was beautiful… though it was known to cause her children to slide beneath the pew. Dolores was a master seamstress. She taught sewing 4-H and made wonderful clothing and quilts for her children and grandchildren. She was also an accomplished gardener, indoors and out. Her husband often referred to their home as “a jungle.” Her yard in spring was graced by the colors of thousands of Tulips, Iris and Daffodils. In the late 70s through the 1980s, Dolores taught third grade CCD to countless children at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. After retiring from a long career as a medical and legal secretary, Dolores tutored children in reading at Northside Elementary School, Sandpoint. She was an avid reader even after losing her sight to macular degeneration. She likely read every mystery held by the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Vision Impaired lending library. She particularly enjoyed the “Cat Who…” series by Lilian Jackson Braun. Dolores was often happiest when surrounded by her animals. Her home and barn were ruled by numerous dogs, cats and horses. There were no cows. She had a distinct dislike of cows. Her refrigerator door was full of pictures drawn by grandchildren, photos of animals she sponsored at the Best Friends Animal Society and photos of children she sponsored in Africa. Dolores loved the mountains, especially the Grand Tetons, Idaho/Wyoming. She and Robert had many a backpacking adventure, including an encounter with a momma moose after traversing The Wall between South Teton and Mount Wister. Dolores never tired of telling the story of coming face to face with the cow moose. Frozen in her tracks, she wisely chose to wait out the moose. It was quite a wait. Dolores was preceded in death by her parents and two of her grandsons, Daniel Schmier and Robert Benson. Dolores is survived by her husband of nearly 62 years, Robert Perusse, Sandpoint, ID; brother, Charles Leviton, Peoria, AZ; daughters, Catherine Perusse (Ted Benson), Sandpoint; Michiel Bender (Dennis), Kuna, ID; Marie Leviton (Elva Escobedo), Boise, ID; nine grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren and one great, great granddaughter. A memorial will be held in the spring of 2015 near Dolores’ home after which, she will be returned to “God’s Garden” of blue lupine, and scarlet gilia in the mountains she so loved, the Grand Teton Range. Donations may be made in her memory to Best Friends Animal Society, www.bestfriends.org - 5001 Angel Canyon Rd, Kanab, UT 84741 or Save the Children, www.savethechildren.org - 501 Kings Highway East, Suite 400, Fairfield, CT 06825.