Alice M. (O’Brien) Perley Reed of Rowley, MA passed away peacefully on April 27, 2025, at the age of 88, surrounded by loving family members. Alice’s life was a testament to the power of love, family, faith, helping others and the joy she found in simple pleasures. Her passing leaves a tremendous void in the hearts of her family and so many others that she touched along her journey.
Alice was born on February 6, 1937, in Ipswich, MA, one of seven children of James P. and Eva (LeBrun) O’Brien. She graduated from Ipswich High School, Class of 1955, and later from Mansfield Beauty Academy in Boston as a certified professional hair stylist. As a teen, she worked behind the counter at the soda fountain in Rowley Pharmacy, where she quickly became known for her warm smile and friendly demeanor. These early years began a life-long love of Rowley and of working directly with people. Alice married her high school sweetheart, James A. Perley, in 1958. After briefly living in Salem, MA, they moved to Rowley and together built their home on Central Street where Alice lived until her passing. There they raised two sons, Jim and Kevin. As a young family they enjoyed tent camping trips all over New England, Boston sporting events, local beaches, amusement parks and any other family attraction they could think of. Annual family vacations were always a highlight, including memorable trips to the Rockies, Grand Canyon, California, and a two-week trek through Alaska. Alice’s sense of adventure has been an inspiration passed on to her family and is a big part of her legacy. These years were also filled with backyard cookouts and parties with their close friends, the “Central Street Crew”, creating memories that brought Alice joy right to the end. And no accounting of Alice’s life would be complete without acknowledging her “First Grade Friends,” a tight-knit group of dear friends who kept close for over 80 years. Her husband Jim passed away suddenly in 1992.
Alice was later introduced by mutual friends to her current husband, Don Reed, and after a lengthy bi-coastal telephone courtship Alice and Don were married in 2001. Sharing a love of travel, Alice and Don enjoyed many years of vacations with family and friends, including European river cruises, trips all over the U.S. and multiple family vacations to her beloved Ireland, where she was added to the Foreign Births Register in 2016. Her “Nana,” Annie (Lee) O’Brien, hailed from Ballinagh, Co. Cavan, and meeting her Irish cousins in Cavan on her 80th birthday was something she treasured. Alice and Don enjoyed going to concerts, musicals and movies, and especially loved holidays and family gatherings on Cape Cod and anywhere else where the family could spend time together.
Her family was everything to Alice, and she was a loving, supportive and devoted mother to Jim and Kevin, and to Jim’s wife Caryn, who Alice accepted and loved as her own from the very beginning. Her role as grandmother, or “Mimi”, to her beloved grandchildren Bryan and Erin were one of her greatest joys and she lovingly welcomed Bryan’s wife Carolina Mazzocchi and Erin’s husband Jim Freyermuth to the family as well. Their wedding celebrations were among the most joyous times of Alice’s life. Mimi loved her pop music and loved to dance, and anyone who saw her dance at Erin’s wedding to Abba’s “Dancing Queen” will never forget it.
Always self-reliant and hard-working, Alice founded her own business, Suburban Styling Salon, in the first level of her Rowley home. Her passion for hairdressing, and more importantly the joy of working with clients who became lifelong friends, quickly made her beauty shop one of the bedrocks of Alice’s life. Equal parts hairdresser, friend and confidant, Alice filled her salon with laughter and a spirit of community. The kindness and compassion she showed to her clients, and to her many other close friends, was legendary in Rowley and beyond, as Alice was constantly bringing her delicious casseroles and blue-ribbon-worthy homemade pies over in times of need, making house calls or visits to hospitals and nursing homes, and generally doing whatever she could to bring comfort and joy to others. Alice continued working at the salon well into her 80s, stopping only when Covid regulations forced her to close her shop. So much more than a career, her salon brought her a sense of purpose and tremendous joy.
Alice’s dedication to her life’s work was matched by her commitment to her Catholic faith. A long-time active member of St. Mary’s Church in Rowley, Alice served on various committees and assisted with church dinners and other functions. She especially loved singing with the church’s Folk Group and the close friendships she made with her fellow singers and musicians. Her faith was another cornerstone of her life, guiding her actions and serving as a great source of comfort and strength.
As an ardent lover of the outdoors, Alice was an avid gardener and always happiest when outside enjoying the fresh air, whether at the beach, walking or hiking in the woods and mountains. Though not a skier herself, she loved the mountains in winter and always enjoyed bringing her sons skiing as kids and more recently accompanying them on family ski trips. She even tried her hand at cross-country skiing and snow shoeing later in life. Her love of nature and of time spent enjoying the outdoors is something we will all remember.
Despite these many passions, it really all came back to family for Alice. In addition to her husband, sons, grandchildren and their respective spouses, this love of family included her brothers and sisters, her many nieces and nephews who she loved dearly, and all of their families. Alice never missed a birthday, graduation or other opportunity to celebrate a member of her family and the memory of her kindness and warmth is a gift we will all cherish. Alice is survived by her husband of 23 years Donald B. Reed, sons James A. Perley, Jr. and his wife Caryn L. (Pike) Perley of Brewster, Kevin B. Perley of Salem, grandchildren Bryan J. Perley and his wife Carolina Mazzocchi of Cambridge, Erin L. Perley and her husband James Freyermuth of South Easton, brother Alfred O’Brien of Springhill, FL, and many loving nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, cousins and dear friends. Alice was predeceased by her first husband of 34 years James A. Perley, and siblings Alma Tobiasz, Mary O’Brien, Jean O’Brien, James O’Brien and David O’Brien.
Relatives & friends are invited to Calling Hours on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. at F. S. Roberts & Son Funeral Home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, May 8, 2025, 11:00 a.m. at St. Mary Parish. Interment will be in Rowley Burial Ground. In lieu of flowers, donation pledges in Alice’s memory may be made to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Massachusetts or The Trustees of Reservations. To light a memorial candle or to leave a message of condolence, please visit www.fsrobertsandson.com.
To light a memorial candle or to leave a message of condolence,
please visit www.fsrobertsandson.com.
~ Arrangements entrusted to F. S. Roberts & Son Funeral Home ~
