Margaret M. Perfetti

Born June 30, 1938, Margaret M. Perfetti died peacefully at home on Saturday, April 29, 2017.

Margaret was a lifelong resident of Cortland County. She lived life large! Growing up in the city of Cortland, Margaret graduated from Cortland High School in 1956, SUNY Albany in 1960, attended the Maxwell School at Syracuse University for a year, earned a Masters degree from SUNY Cortland in 1968 and her Administration Certificate 1983.

Her career was very rewarding in all its aspects but teacher was the most important title. She taught English at Homer High School for 23-years, was vice principal for 5-years and principal at the high school for 8-years, retiring in 1996. After she retired from Homer, she attended TC3 Nursing program and earned her RN license.

She also taught English (speech, literature and writing) as an adjunct at TC3 from 1988-2015.

At various times, Margaret sat on the Board of the YWCA, the JM Murray Center which she found most rewarding, and the Board of Education in Homer. Most recently she held a post on the SUNY Cortland College Council.

She was an active participant at St. Margaret’s Roman Catholic Church in Homer where she was a lector and a Eucharistic minister and even took a couple of twirls on the pastoral council.

She was blessed with wonderful parents, two brothers and a sister, a really good marriage and five children who brought much more joy than difficulty. She acknowledges that none of this would have been possible without her wonderful friend and nanny to her children, Agatha Baker.

She was predeceased by her parents, William and Ruth Morgan and the love of her life, David Perfetti in 2012.

She is survived by five wonderful and productive children. She was pleased with all of their choices and loved them all: Patrick (Carol) Perfetti, Mary (Thomas) Kiernan, Timothy (Lisa) Perfetti, Michael (Sara) Perfetti, Lucia (Timothy) Perfetti Clark. She was blessed with and survived by 12 delightful and wonderfully different grandchildren; Vincenzo and Giovanna Perfetti; Mairead, Hugh Seamus, and David Kiernan; David W. and Joel Perfetti; Madelaine, Hannah and Andrew Perfetti, and Dana and Ewan Perfetti Clark.  

She is also survived by her brothers Michael (Susan) Morgan, Matthew (Linda) Morgan, and her sister, Maureen Morgan, several beloved nieces and nephews and several more great nieces and nephews.

There are also many dear friends and colleagues who made her life fun and worth living.  She wasn’t kidding about being blessed.

The Old Timers’ Band held a special place in her heart as her involvement as the emcee began as a way to spend time with her beloved, Dave. Always the teacher and life long learner, this activity grew to be a passion of sharing the arts and education with so many people, young and old alike. 

In the words of Auntie Mame, “Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death.” She would like everyone to remember this and enjoy the banquet of life.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 4, 2017 at St. Margaret’s Roman Catholic Church, 14 Copeland Ave. Homer, where a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by the Rev. Paul Alciati. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Cortland.

Calling hours will be held at St. Margaret’s Church on Wednesday from 4-8 p.m.

Please consider making donations to Hospice and Palliative Care of Cortland, 11 Kennedy Parkway, Cortland, NY 13045.

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