David Martin Perrell Memorial

[David]

Saturday August 20 of 2005 Mario passed at his home in Santa Barbara. Mario was a fine man of distinct individuality. He was an artist, builder, dad, husband, horseman, dreamer, friend, grandpa and eternal optimist. He did as he wanted when he wanted. He was not shy, quiet, subtle, or distant. This is a guy that cared about his family and dreamed that we would all live at his "compound". It never happened?. but his family was there visiting when he succumbed to emphysema after years of smoking. He wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else or with anyone else. His brave son-in-law Greg tried to save Mario after he collapsed. It will be hard on everyone without Mario because,.. what he was always trying to tell us will have to be remembered and may never be understood.

He was a man with three boats, a shower bus, four cars, (none of which ran) a half dozen casitas (cabins), and a multitude of macho "what-nots? (wrenches, tanks, lamps, saws, rocks, farm implements, stuff that could not be identified). Let?s just say he was an avid collector. Under the tree east of the garage is the front end of a Model-A Ford in pretty good condition. The sugar pine grabs onto a cow skull with its branches and sculptures in marble are everywhere.

The many various pine trees he planted will continue to strain the dew from the fog in the morning and create habitat and cool shade for time beyond our own.

I will treasure my time with Mario and fondly remember his great stories like No. 34 and No. 65, and the daily update on the Art Bell show (late night radio).

What great memories!

[rusty]

A very moving post Dave, it would have been nice to be able to meet Mario

[David]

Dominique, the girls and I went to Santa Barbara in Mid October to plant a tree for Mario and spread his ashes. His long time friends Tony & Katie Powell were there. Mario had been the best man at their wedding. I had met them briefly before and it was great to see them again.

We read his high school year book and a bunch of other stuff. Next to his senior picture (Martin Perlmutter) it said "that's my name, don't wear it out".