Perry Joseph De Steven

GIRARD - Perry Joseph De Steven, 100, passed away peacefully Monday morning, Dec. 28, 2020, at Shepherd of the Valley in Liberty.

Perry was born July 18, 1920, in Girard, a son of the late Louis and Lucy Gelsomino De Steven, and was a lifelong Girard resident.

He was a 1938 graduate of Girard High School. During World War II, he served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Air Force in Germany and was a member of Squadron 527, 86th Fighter Group, flying a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt.
  
After the war, he worked as a professional photographer for 42 years, beginning at Pick Wick Studio in Youngstown before moving to his Crumlin Avenue location in Girard.
     
He was a member of St. Rose Church in Girard, where he served as an usher during his retirement years until age 94.

Perry lived his 100 years to the fullest, and engaged in hobbies of fishing, ice fishing, camping, flying, hunting, roller skating, and bicycling. He had been a member of the Mahoning-Trumbull Beagle Club, the Mahoning Valley Flying Club, and was a lifetime member of the Professional Photographers of Ohio.

Perry’s wife of more than 66 years, Josephine Rogusky De Steven, whom he married May 6, 1950, passed away Oct. 13, 2016.

He leaves to cherish his memory his two daughters, Diane De Steven of Charleston, S.C. and Deborah Alexander of Youngstown; his son, Robert (Linda) De Steven of Hinckley; five granddaughters, Heather Lynne, Tara Thompson, Rachelle (Doug) Sprouse, Brittany (George) Plevrakis, and Lisa Danielle De Steven; five great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren; many nieces and nephews; and many extended family members and friends.

Besides his wife, three sisters, Julia Tascione, Antoinette De Steven, and Laura Thomas, preceded Perry in death.  

Due to the current pandemic, there will be no public calling hours at this time. A public Memorial Mass will be held at a future date.

A brief committal service with military honors will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021, at 11 a.m., at Girard Liberty Union Cemetery, where Perry will be laid to rest next to his wife. Friends and family are invited to attend. If attending the graveside service, please follow all current health guidelines, including the wearing of masks and practicing social distancing.

Heartfelt thanks to the many friends of Perry who watched over him and kept him out of harm's way in his later, “unpredictable” years. He would likely not have lived 100 years without all of you!

Arrangements have been entrusted to Kinnick Funeral Home in Girard.

To send flowers to the family, please visit our floral store.