Deanna Dias Perkinton

Deanna Dias Perkinton, a loving mother, devoted wife and long-time Morgan Hill resident, has died unexpectedly. She was 51.

Deanna – so kind by nature yet also feisty in spirit – lived her life to the fullest. She was always full of energy and was game for any adventure, including parasailing, snorkeling, bungee jumping, go-kart racing, houseboating, traveling and, yes, even cliff diving.

Deanna was born on Aug. 26, 1969 in Morgan Hill, attending local schools and graduating from Live Oak High School in 1987. She participated in multiple sports (go, Acorns!) and was a member of the Emerald Regime Marching Band. She enjoyed traveling extensively with the band, including being a part of the first group to perform on the Great Wall of China.

Her classmates remember her fondly as the girl with the "great smile" who would "light up a room" when she walked in it. Indeed, Deanna was an easy person to get to know and gained many strong friendships over the years. If you counted yourself a friend of Deanna's, you were her friend for life.

And that laugh! Who can forget Deanna's infectious laugh? She was always energetic, enthusiastic and so vibrant.

She earned a degree in Finance with a minor in Mathematics at San Jose State University and furthered her education by completing an MBA, also at SJSU.

Deanna initially worked for Bank of the West as an Assistant Manager. But she soon changed her career to become a pharmaceutical representative with Solvay, then Abbott Labs and later for AbbVie, Inc. Deanna was a people person, and loved being out in the field, meeting doctors and nurses as well as her many wonderful colleagues.

In 1998, she met the love of her life – George Perkinton – through mutual friends. Deanna and George had an instant and lifelong connection, with him supporting her in everything she did. They got married in 2001, welcomed their first son, Joshua, in 2007, and their second son, Tyler, in 2010.

Her boys were her pride and joy. She loved cheering them on at their sporting events and attending their school functions just as much as she looked forward to being at the finish line for her husband every time he finished another triathlon.

Deanna's love of sports included playing recreational softball in her adult years, and passionately rooting for the San Francisco Giants, trying to never miss any of their games.

Deanna volunteered regularly and was a strong supporter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, helping to orchestrate charitable drives for the cause. Always giving of herself to others, she continued in that tradition even upon her sudden death. As an organ donor, she is still helping others improve their ability to live a good life.

Family was tantamount to Deanna. She had an extremely close relationship with her parents, Ray and Rosie, and cherished being the supportive big sister to Nicole. She also enjoyed learning about her ancestral roots, being a dual citizen of both the United States and Portugal. She traveled multiple times to Portugal to increase her understanding of her background, most recently with her husband, children, parents and her sister's family.

She is survived by her loving husband, George Perkinton, and sons Joshua and Tyler, all of Morgan Hill; parents Ray and Rosie Dias of Hughson, CA; sister Nicole Smith (Calin), and nephews Makenan and Wyatt Smith, all of Strawberry, CA.

She will be dearly missed by everyone.

Services have been held.

Published in Morgan Hill Times · September 23, 2020