Krista Bunnell Perry

Krista Bunnell Perry, 72, of Philadelphia, passed away unexpectedly on November 12, 2023, due to sepsis from chemotherapy treatments. She was surrounded by loving family at her time of death.

She was born November 9, 1951, to Nelson and Elizabeth (Paquette) Bunnell, and grew up in Canaan, Vermont, a small town near the Canadian border, with her parents and two sisters. She attended Canaan Memorial High School, where she was a captain on the basketball team, and a member of the dramatics club, library club, chorus, student newspaper, and student government. As a teenager and young woman, she worked at Jackson's Lodge cleaning cabins, and for Abacus tax accountants in nearby Colebrook, New Hampshire. Remembering a bus trip to Boston with her friend Connie Jackson in 1966 to see the Beatles on tour always brought a sparkle to her eye. Her favorite Beatle was John Lennon.

In 1971, she married Danny Perry of Colebrook, after he returned home from the Vietnam War. Shortly after, they moved to Portland, Maine, and had one daughter, Nicole, in 1982. The couple divorced but remained friends in later life.

Krista worked at Central Maine Power Company from 1976 to 1994, starting out as a meter reader and advancing to a managerial role. She was also proud to be a union member. She spent the remainder of her career, until 2019, at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, retiring as a senior business information analyst. She was known for being a caring and empathetic leader who wasn't afraid to speak up for her team members to higher management.

In 2008, she relocated to New Haven, Connecticut (later living in Wallingford), where she made a treasured group of friends at the Yale Humanist Society and New Haven Arts and Culture Group. She had always been a lover of art, literature, and theater, and these interests had a chance to flourish in the college town that became her new home.

In 2021, she relocated again, this time to Philadelphia, to be closer to her daughter and "son-in-love," Rob. She had been diagnosed with kidney disease earlier that year, and was receiving dialysis, but chose to direct her focus on maintaining a full and interesting life, rather than on her illness. This attitude continued through her recent diagnosis of pancreatic cancer in 2023. In Philadelphia, Krista, Nicole, Rob, and friends went on numerous outings to art museums, historic houses, restaurants, lectures, and plays. A recent opportunity to see comedian Jerry Seinfeld perform live kept everyone laughing for hours.

Krista was a natural nurturer, a deep thinker, and a cheerful, calming presence. She was also a little bit of an absent-minded professor. She valued learning, beauty, love, and standing up for the little guy. She is missed by so many.

She leaves behind her daughter, Nicole Perry (Rob Dolecki) of Philadelphia; father, Nelson Bunnell (Pegg Bunnell); sisters, Dianne Bunnell Yelle (the late Gary Yelle) and Renee Bunnell 

(Paul Lupi); nephews, Phil Haynes, Ken Haynes, and Wade Perry; niece, Wendy Riendeau Perry; numerous cousins and other family; many loving friends; and her grandkittens. She was predeceased by her mother and her former husband.

Memorials will be planned at a later date in New England. Anyone wishing to make a gift in Krista's memory is encouraged to support a nonprofit she cared about, such as Sandy Hook Promise, the Millay Society, or the Philadelphia Free Library Fund. She would have also encouraged people to support their local arts and theater scene by buying a ticket to a cultural event and enjoying an evening out with friends and loved ones.

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