Obituary of Giuseppe Antonio Perrella

February 23, 1936 – Naples, Italy

October 10, 2022 - Calgary, Alberta

Peppe Perrella, of Calgary, AB, passed away on Monday, October 10, 2022, at the age of 86 years.

Born in his beloved Napoli, Peppe overcame his dislike for school and graduated with a doctorate in Geology from the University of Naples. He moved to Rome to work for the Geological Survey of Italy where he crisscrossed the country as a survey geologist.

In 1966 he sailed across the Atlantic to start a new life in Canada as a geologist in the Alberta oil patch. He settled in Calgary with a few dollars to his name and a little English.

Proud to be new Canadians, Peppe and his first wife Giancarla “Carla” laid roots and raised two boys Claudio and Max.

Peppe enjoyed a broad range of activities from sports to arts to the outdoors. He loved to row and sail on the sea. On land, he loved to bicycle and ski and was particularly passionate about fencing. He was an avid photographer and passionate about cooking and food. He enjoyed camping and taking in the beauty of the Alberta foothills and Rockies. His enthusiasm for whatever caught his attention was infectious.

He also enjoyed exploring new countries and worked as an expat in Italy, Australia, Libya, Ghana, and Bolivia.

Peppe is survived by his sons and daughters-in-law Claudio and Lori, and Max and Michelle; his grandchildren Matthew, Claire, Robert, Kingston, and Scarlett who he loved very much, and friend Ellie Silver whose telephone calls Peppe cherished every day.

His ashes will be laid to rest in his beloved Rockies and in Naples. He asked that there be no service other than a small gathering of immediate family. Condolences, memories and photos can also be shared and viewed here.

Special thanks to the team at Age Care Sky Point Sunridge East for taking excellent care of him; to the physicians and nurses at Peter Lougheed Centre for their compassion and care in his final days, and to Rita Iannaccone whose companionship and trips to the Italian store gave him much joy.

In living memory of Giuseppe "Peppe" Perrella, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.