LYDIA V. PERRONE (née Valente) passed away peacefully on January 27, 2023 at age 89.  Lydia was born in 1933 in Camden, New Jersey to Nunziata (DiRenzo) and Giovanni Valente. She is preceded by her husband of 45 years, Joseph (Zeke) Perrone, and her four brothers and five sisters.  Starting as middle school sweethearts, Lydia and Zeke continued their romance while attending Woodrow Wilson High School in Camden and married in 1954. They raised their five children in South Jersey, settling for many years in Marlton. In February 1999, they celebrated their 45th wedding anniversary just prior to Joseph’s passing.  Lydia is survived by her sister, Victoria Angelo, and her five children: Dr. Joseph Perrone (Marie), Debra Dexter (Dave), Robert Perrone (Ginny), Susan Maffei (Vincent), and Joanne Daum (Fred). She leaves behind 16 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, who brought her so much joy. She treasured each and every call, card, story, and visit (even those conducted with her iPad) from them and was known for sharing stories about her family to her friends. Her grandchildren have wonderful memories of sleepovers at her house and morning breakfasts starring her legendary pancakes.  As a child, Lydia possessed an artistic soul and talent, which manifested itself later in her life after she began taking art lessons. She became quite accomplished, creating beautiful works of oils, pastels, and cross-stitch, which are displayed and enjoyed in the homes of her family. Every member holds a piece of Lydia’s art, whether a painting of flowers or a cross-stitched Christmas tree skirt. She shared her love of art with her kids and grandchildren, creating the yearly ritual of decorating gingerbread houses the Friday after Thanksgiving. The tradition has carried on for years and continues to this day.  Lydia also had a passion for exploration. She worked for many years as a pension administrator for UFCW Local 56 union in Pennsauken, New Jersey. It was during this time she began traveling the world with her coworkers. She lived her dreams of visiting Italy, Spain, France, and more, along with much of the U.S. Lydia often expressed how she held those trips dear to her heart long after the traveling ceased.  In her later years, Lydia’s love of film grew. It wasn’t uncommon to catch her watching a Turner Classic movie on her (very loud) TV. She knew every actor, every actress, and every plot line without fail. She made watching movies together fun with her anecdotes about the actors and different time periods. If you were lucky, she’d scratch your back as you sat on the couch next to her.  Lydia was proudest of the family she raised, and the accomplishments of her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She took great pleasure in watching them grow and succeed. Lydia left us with wonderful family memories of Sunday dinners of homemade pastas and gravy. Her specialty was homemade pizza. Her home was full of love and longstanding tradition, especially around the holidays. She took her job of decorating her house very seriously, making sure all family moments felt extra special.  Though she claimed she had everything she needed, Lydia wouldn’t say no to a scratch-off lottery ticket or Tastykake krimpet or chocolate cupcake. She was a pro at enjoying the little moments in life.  Lydia was a member of St. Joan of Arc Church for 57 years. She enjoyed being a part of the church community and attending Mass. Even in her final years, she became adept at watching Mass on her iPad (she was always ahead of her time!).  A Visitation will be held from 10 AM to 11 AM on Thursday, February 2 at St. Joan of Arc Church in Marlton, NJ. A Mass will be held at 11 AM followed by burial at Calvary Cemetery in Cherry Hill, NJ.  Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Bradley & Stow Funeral Home in Medford, NJ.  In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations be made to: Samaritan Hospice at https://samaritannj.org/ or Samaritan Gift Processing Center P.O. Box 71425, Philadelphia, PA 19176-1425.  (www.BradleyStow.com)

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