Corinne Marie Ouellette

Corinne Marie McDermott Ouellette was born May 17, 1937, and lived 87 years, 10 months, and 27 days until her passing on March 16, 2025, two months shy of her 88th birthday. She was born to James Robert McDermott and Marie V. Groleau at Mercy Hospital, in Muskegon, MI. A half-sister, Gloria, and two brothers preceded her in birth with another brother soon to follow. After Corinne’s father passed when she was two, her maternal grandmother, her aunts, Fr. LaPres and the Sisters at St. Jean Baptiste School, and the firemen at the local fire barn stepped up for the McDermott children.

As a girl, Corinne lived across the street from the fire barn where she and her three brothers, James, Robert, and Michael, were welcome. When she took on her brother’s newspaper route, the fire barn served as a distribution point and the firemen would help her prepare her papers for delivery. Corinne was named for her maternal grandmother and spent a great deal of time with her namesake. Grandma Corinne took her to see her first movie, a Gene Autry film, and subsequently to more ‘cowboy’ features. Her favorite movies at the time featured Roy Rogers and Dale Evans. Once when she was a little girl, her brothers brought her to the local park to meet another famous figure of the American West, the Lone Ranger of radio fame.

She loved animals, especially her marmalade orange cat, Henry, and for a time, headed up her own dog grooming business; she enjoyed watching the national dog shows on TV. When she was younger, she would watch from her house for one of the local delivery wagons that came down her street so she could meet the horse pulling it, sugar cube in hand.

Corinne’s grandparents were one of the founding families of St. Jean Baptiste Parish in Muskegon. She was an active parishioner there for many years as well as a student at St. Jean Baptiste School. She was a member of the St. Anne Society and she prayed the St. Anne novena almost every year in July, including last year. Corinne was a member of the glee club of Muskegon Catholic Central High School and graduated among its second class in 1955. She had the opportunity to further her education for a short while at Muskegon Community College. She married Patrick Perigard, Sr. on November 5, 1955, and together they had nine children, including one foster child.

Throughout her life, Corinne lived at different times in Muskegon, MI, San Diego, CA, Kitsap County, WA, Three Forks, MT, and finally in northern Michigan. She took on a wide variety of work as well, starting out as an usherette and cashier at the Regent Theater in Muskegon. Her broad digest of work experience included roles as a trail guide and general helper for a horse barn, as a crossing guard, a school bus driver, a jail matron for the Muskegon Sheriff’s Department, and a rural postal carrier. She finished her career working on a team that provided foot care for senior citizens throughout Kitsap County; amongst this team she formed many friendships.

Corinne enjoyed reading, playing cards and board games, and swimming. She loved dancing as well as watching her children dance with the Maycroft Square Tappers. Corinne also had the opportunity to travel a great deal within the United States as well as to the Caribbean and Scotland.

Corinne prayed the rosary daily, kept an adoration hour for several years, and in later years spent time in formation with the Secular Carmelites. She took her faith and prayer life seriously, raising her family in the Catholic faith and praying for others when asked. Please pray for her. She was grateful for the vocation of the priesthood and among those priests she encountered, formed close friendships with two international priests from the Diocese of Maiduguri in Nigeria.

Corinne is preceded in death by her parents, her siblings, four sons, including her foster son, Timothy Perigard, George Riggs, Patrick Perigard, Jr., and Michael Perigard, and her grandson, Nathaniel Atchison. She is survived by a sister-in-law, Maureen McDermott; five of her children, Corinne (David) Atchinson, James (Theresa) Perigard, Marie (Peter) Carter, Robert (Frances) Perigard, and John (Julie) Perigard; numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews; close to 20 grandchildren and about a dozen great grandchildren.

The family will visit with friends Friday, March 28, 2025, from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, with the Rosary at 6:30PM at Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service. A Mass of Christian Burial will take place Saturday, March 29, 2025, at St. Mary Cathedral at 11:00 AM, where the family will visit with friends beginning at 10:00 AM. Father Matthew Wigton, celebrant and Father Philibus Yakubu, concelebrant.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a gift to the Diocese of Gaylord, 611 W, North Street, Gaylord, MI 49735, to be directed to the Diocese of Maiduguri. 

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