Lolita Harper
The lively chatter and hearty laughs coming from the picturesque home
on Fullerton Avenue are typical when the Perry family gets together.
On Thursday, the large family came together to honor their mother,
and among the good-natured ribbing and loving teasing was genuine
gratitude for Joan Perry's hard work.
"The neatest thing about her was that she raised all six kids by
herself," daughter Lindsay Iverson said.
"And juggled two jobs," daughter Stephanie De La Cruz added.
"And we all gave her hell," daughter Allison Khademi said.
And so went the conversations in the bustling Perry home. With
four of the six grateful children sitting in their mother's
skillfully decorated living room, the dialogue was as colorful as the
decor.
Perry sat quietly, receiving the praise from her children, while
adding her own accounts.
"All you can do is be the best mother you can be," Perry said.
"And if you make a mistake, just go on and make a new one."
The mother of six has lived in Costa Mesa all her life. She
recently inherited the family home in the 1900 block of Fullerton
Avenue. The house, originally built by Charles TeWinkle, was her
aunt's home, then her mother's and now it is hers, she said.
She was one of the first Orange Coast College cheerleaders, her
children said.
"Well, yes, I was a song leader," Perry said.
She owned her own modeling agency, and the Doobie Brothers, Bill
Medley and Bobby Hatfield would always visit, they said.
"They would entertain there regularly," the petite blond said.
She used to hang out with movie stars and surf with them, her
children said. The first Tarzan, Johnny Weismuller, would meet her by
the pier.
"Well, we bodysurfed," Perry said. "We used to meet at the pier
and jump off at the T, which we weren't supposed to do. He would come
down with his cronies and we would surf together."
A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING
After her exciting youth, Perry turned her attention to
child-rearing and business. She gave swim lessons, owned a cosmetic
line, had an antique store in Victoria Beach and, of course, the
modeling agency, Jo Jordan's.
Her children said they learned many things from their mother's
energetic business ventures and watched her succeed in practically
every aspect.
"I've done everything," Perry said. "You name it, I've done it."
As her children showered her with compliments, she tried to return
the gesture by bragging about the multitude of accomplishments among
them.
"Mom, this is about you not us," Jon Perry said.
