Obituary of Michael Leo Pera
Hollister native Mike Pera passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on August 10th after a short battle with cancer at the age of 72. Mike is survived by his daughter Robin of Hollister and his son Bob (Helayna) of Placerville and his granddaughter Sheridan who he affectionately called “Turtle”. He is also survived by brother-in-law John (Jean) Barrett and sister-in-law Charlotte Cabral of Hollister and sister-in-law Janis Yee (Pete Rivera) of Reno as well as one niece, several nephews, several great nieces and nephews and numerous cousins. Mike is preceded in death by his loving wife, Marie, just two short years earlier. He is also preceded in death by his parents Bob and Gina Pera, his in-laws Dave and Frances Barrett, and his Aunt Rose Babcock.
Mike was born November 15th, 1946 in Hollister where he resided until he was drafted by the US Army during the Vietnam War and served as a veterinary technician at Fort Polk, Louisiana until his discharge. Mike was proud of his service and continued to be a supporter of veterans through the years. After his military service Mike was employed as a welder for L&A Engineering in Gilroy before the business moved to Turlock, where Mike and Marie would relocate to for 18 years before they returned to Hollister, where Mike would then work for Pride Conveyance Systems until his retirement. Ever the craftsman, Mike was known for his “Camp Pera-Dice” sign above the driveway to his home, numerous cowboy mailbox stands that still adorn San Benito County, and was the go-to for many local ranches to construct branding irons.
In his later years Mike found pleasure in cruising with Marie taking trips to Alaska, the Panama Canal, and Cuba as well as traveling to Placerville to visit his Granddaughter to play a game of Go-Fish.
Mike also served as a member of the San Benito County Fish and Game Commission until his death.
A memorial will be held at Grunnagle Funeral Home in Hollister on Thursday September 5th at 10:00 AM with a celebration of life to immediately follow with details to be provided.
Interment, with full military honors will be held at the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery 2900 Parker Flats Road, Seaside, CA 93955, (at the old Fort Ord in Monterey), on Friday, September 6th at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers Mike’s wishes were for donations to one of the following:
The Marie E. Pera Memorial Scholarship
C/O John Barrett
217 7th Street
Hollister, CA 95023
Or
The California Wildlife Officer’s Foundation – K-9 Fund
P.O. Box 865
San Carlos, CA 94070