DANA PERINO: Five important lessons from my father for every proud girl dad

Well, this is a first for me: Father’s Day without my father, Leo E. Perino.

My dad died in his sleep at the end of May 2026, just 29 days after retiring. He was 79. The guy loved to work. And he loved his daughters. He was a wonderful girl father to two girls.

Friends of mine who are now girl dads amaze me. I think they’re very good at raising their daughters, so they don’t need advice from me. But here are five things my dad did that made a difference in my life and played a role in my success and happiness.