Known for his velvety voice and soothing demeanor, Perry Como was once one of America’s most cherished entertainers. Yet in the final chapters of his life, Como quietly faded from the spotlight, enveloped in a mix of silence, illness, and bitter family disputes.
After a celebrated career in television and music that spanned decades, Como retired to Jupiter Inlet Colony, Florida in the late 1980s, where he lived a quiet life by the sea with his beloved wife Roselle. But when Roselle passed away in 1998—his companion of nearly 65 years—everything began to change.
Friends and close relatives reported that Como soon began to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a cruel condition that gradually erased the sharp memory he was once famous for. The man who sang hundreds of songs from memory now struggled to recognize those around him.
What made this decline even more tragic was the family conflict that erupted during his most vulnerable years. A legal battle between his son, Ronald, and daughter, Therese, over Perry’s medical care and guardianship became public in 2001. The dispute shocked many fans who had long admired the seemingly harmonious Como family.
Como passed away on May 12, 2001, at the age of 88. His funeral was private, quiet—almost in stark contrast to the limelight he once basked in. Today, many aspects of his final years remain unspoken, locked behind the walls of family silence and fading memories.
His story reminds us that even the brightest stars can quietly dim, far away from the applause and admiration they once commanded.