Ruby Lee Perry

Ruby Lee Perry, 81, of Dorchester, Massachusetts departed this world on November 8, 2020. Ruby was born on May 10, 1939 by a mid-wife in Mobile, Alabama to the late Fate and Angelina Perry. In 1950, Ruby relocated to Boston as a teenager on the news of greater employment opportunities for her parents. Upon arriving in Boston, Ruby attended Roxbury Memorial High School which was renamed Boston Technical High School. Years later, her two daughters Angela and Gena would attend the same high school as well. She always liked to say how they ended up going to the same high school that she attended. Ruby was an avid book reader; she could read 500 pages in one day!! She was a very smart woman which is where her offspring gets their smarts!!! She ensured they received the best education so that they would survive in this world...and they did...successfully!!!! Some of her favorite readings was poetry by Edgar Allan Poe, mystery thrillers, and books written by black authors. She was also a lover of all music; especially soul and jazz music!! She loved Isaac Hayes, Johnny Mathis, Donny Hathaway, Santana, and her main man Stevie Wonder!!! Ruby worked as a secretary traveling to South Boston during the very turbulent racial times of the 60s. This never bothered Ruby though because she had enormous courage and strength. Over the years, Ruby was a skilled homemaker to various senior citizen clients. She loved taking care of people and she took pride in paying attention to the little details and needs of her clients taking special note of the things that made them happy. Their happiness was her happiness. Ruby’s happiness was also her children and grandchildren. She loved cooking! She was big on spaghetti Wednesdays and fish on Fridays. Over the years, she stopped the spaghetti Wednesdays, but fish on Fridays remained a staple. She also loved cooking family dinners for holidays, and she used to always like to make Easter baskets for the grandchildren when they were little. She loved having visits from her grandchildren to talk, eat, and watch her favorite westerns and scary movies! Ruby and her scary movies were legendary… It didn’t matter what time of night it was--She would watch a scary movie no matter what and not be scared one bit! Ruby loved the Lord dearly. She attended Antioch Missionary Baptist Church where she was a dedicated Senior Usher for many years. There wasn’t a Sunday morning or afternoon service that she missed when she was performing her usher duties. Ruby was a social butterfly too. She loved going on various outings which included lunch cruises, bingo, outlet mall shopping, and good old casino runs with other seniors in her apartment complex. On her 75th birthday, her daughter, Gena, took her to the ultimate casino locale—LAS VEGAS! She was enthralled with all of the different casinos and slot machines where she could “Win herself a little coin” as she used to say. She leaves behind to cherish her memory four children: Anthony Perry, Angela Perry, Christopher Perry (Lisa), and Gena Perry; six grandchildren: Mark Anthony Perry, Tasha Rodriguez, Leonard Martin III, Christopher “CJ” Perry, Jesse Perry, and Jade Perry; three great-grandchildren: Gabriel Perry, Israel Perry, & Uriah Perry; and one brother: Sidney Perry. She is also survived by her “Sister” girlfriends, Betty Kelley and Nell McCants, and a host of other relatives and friends. She is predeceased by her parents Angelina Perry and Fate Perry, and aunt Pansy Carleton. Ruby was a strong woman who never let anything get the best of her. At her final visit to Boston Medical Center she said to her son, Christopher, “I used to be so strong”. He replied that her children would be strong for her now. Ruby was loved by people who got to know her heart. She will be greatly missed. Mom, you can now rest...