Dina always donated blood and plasma religiously. She never missed a chance to help others. She would hand out blessing bags she filled up with toiletries also. Dina was very easy to make happy. She was always grateful for the little things in life to make her smile. Just something as simple as her taking home some napkins from McDonald’s to help us out and save money on buying paper towels. Same goes for buying food for her. I can still hear her saying, “no, just get for the kids I’ll be ok”, If we were low on funds. Dina was always about the family. Always wanted to be with the family, and always good to the family. Every time Dina met one of Teagan’s friends, she would say so happily, “Hi I’m Teagan’s Aunt”. She was always so proud of her family and so happy to show us all off. Her face would beam. Every day in New York, Dina would take Avery to school for me and pick her up. She did the same thing here in Florida. Taking her to and from the bus stop so that I can go to work. Including watching her for me until I got off. Avery spent so much time with Dina, as did all of our kids when they were young. We are all better off for knowing Dina. I don’t think she realized the impact she made on so many people’s lives. I will never forget her good heart and her funny little jokes she would tell. And that laugh of hers. She always gave off happy, positive, loving energy. Dina always wore her pink sweater and pink jacket, however her favorite color was yellow. It’s a little ironic that she passed from covid, and the covid color for awareness is yellow. We always knew that Dina was different and special. However, we are more aware of it now. We all see Dina’s worth, her uniqueness and accept her for who she was.

Dina was a woman of God. Her love for God was unimaginable to most people. Always going to church and reading The Bible. Making friends wherever she went. She would have bible study at home every Saturday with her friend Janice. Dina always taught us to pray before each and every meal. She never let us forget. And to always forgive others and not hold grudges. To treat others as if they were your own family. The world has truly lost a wonderful soul when Dina left us here on earth. Heaven gained a beautiful angel. She is now with our parents and grandparents and in the loving arms of Jesus. Life is short, and one day we will all be gone. We may not have a chance to say sorry or hug them that one last time like we always think we do. Love your family and friends and treat them good while you still have the chance.

I am ending with Dina’s favorite Bible verse. Psalms 21, verses 3 and 4.

Verse 3. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be there God.

Verse 4. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

In loving memory of our sister Dina Kogan: 3/7/68 – 8/18/21

Love Letter Straight from Dave’s Heart

You have made my life so real to me
I hope you know that it’s TRUE
I think that’s the way it was meant to be … I hope you know it’s true

And you know …
I will always LOVE YOU

Please cherish this heart that holds all our Love, … we can use it all of our life
I want to thank the Lord up above for letting you … be my

loving wife

… I love you …
… always …

My only sibling, my brother, was a fan of all the holidays but mostly Thanksgiving and Christmas because he was a like a big kid. He enjoyed the festivities of food during Thanksgiving and being with family. Christmas was for all the gifts he received from family. He enjoyed his Reese’s candy with a Coca Cola, but mainly enjoyed being surrounded by so much love. His love was so pure.

We miss him so much. Holidays will never be the same.

September 15, 2007: 15 years ago, the day my life changed forever.

Tim and I woke up as friends, we were both off work and I was staying with him for the weekend. We had decided to go to Homosassa Springs State Park. On the drive over something felt different between us, something good was going to happen.

We listened to Shaggy and sang along to Mr. Bombastic (which became our wedding song). We had such a good time walking around, seeing the animals, the manatees, and just being together. On the drive back to his house we were stopped at a light and he leaned over and kissed me. That was when we went from being best friends to best friends, lovers, and eventually spouses.

My grandpa, Michael Perna, passed away from Covid in April 2020. He is dearly missed by his entire family every day. He was the absolute best grandpa and best friend. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about him and how much he would have loved and enjoyed to see something or listen to a story I would often share with him about my day at work. My grandpa was a family man and a very hard worker; everything he did was for his family and there was no greater joy he had then seeing all of his family together.
Often when our family gets together to this day and everyone is laughing and smiling, I feel my grandpa’s presence and it’s because he instilled in his children and grandchildren that there is nothing better than family and practicing that throughout our lives keeps him alive forever. And I know he is smiling down from heaven watching us and very proud of us all. When I go back to my childhood home (the house my grandpa was born, lived in and raised his family in), all of the memories and times spent with my grandpa rush back to me. I am so very grateful I was able to live with him for 29 years of my life and to have made all of those memories I will cherish forever. Lately, I have been seeing feathers everywhere I go, in the most random places and I like to think it is him coming to say hello. We will love and miss you forever, Papa.

I would like to share with you my grandpa’s story:
Michael Perna, our Mikey, Dad & Papa, was the eldest son of Amelia and Albert Perna born in Corona, Queens, New York on September 16th 1940. He was born and raised in the very same house his grandfather and father grew up in along with his brother, Tommy and sister, AnnMarie right on 108 St and 52nd Avenue.

Michael attended and graduated from St. Leo’s Academic School where he also received his First Holy Communion and Confirmation. After graduation, he attended a trade high school. He went on to work as a handy man for Rosenthal Associates in New York City and worked his way up to becoming Superintendent, Chief Engineer and Fire Safety director for the building. He worked there for 53 years before retiring in 2014. He would wake up and walk down 111st Street in Corona to the 7 Train and get off at the 42nd St stop every day for the 53 years he worked there. On his lunch breaks, he enjoyed walking in Bryant Park and stopping at the local church. He married the love of his life, Pierina Pitoscia at St. Leo’s Church on September 10, 1960 and they raised their four beautiful children in Corona in the very same house Michael was born and raised in. His sons Albert & Michael and daughters Anna & Rachel. In the years to follow, he welcomed many grandchildren and great grandchildren. Michael was a family man and devoted to making the best life for his family. He was so proud of the family he helped grow & enjoyed spending time with all of them. He loved when his family and friends would come over to celebrate holidays, birthdays or just be together in the basement. Even though his family outgrew the basement, it will always be a place filled with happiness, comfort and love. He loved to build and fix things; you would often see him always working on painting or fixing something around the house, especially always cleaning his Jeep in his backyard. Throughout his years of working in New York City, he would collect trinkets that he would find and place them around the house or on his desk or share them with his children and grandchildren. If you looked around his house, you would see the initials “MP” or stickers of his name & address on all his belongings as he would love to label things. We like to now think of this as his way of showing us that he is always with us. He absolutely loved being down the Jersey Shore sitting on the porch of his beach house looking out at the lagoon listening to his favorite tunes. When he would go down the Shore, he would love to spend a day or two in Atlantic City with his wife playing the slot machines. Throughout the years, he donated to multiple charities such as the Sons of Italy, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, St Jude’s Children Hospital, St Anthony’s & St. Francis as well as many others.

Michael is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Pierina Perna; his children, Albert, Anna, Michael, & Rachel; his grandchildren, Melissa, Amanda, Alissa, Dana, Andrea, Christopher, Samantha, Jonathan, Tinamarie, Mateo, Enza, his great grandchildren, Valentina, Jimmy Jr., Adrianna, Michael & Natalie and grand pups Gioia & Arya.