Obituary of Gerard N. Perry

Gerard N. Perry July 27, 1926 - March 08, 2008 Gerard Nollen Perry died on Saturday, March 8, 2008 in his home on the bay following a two-year battle with cancer. He was preceded in death by his wife Eleanor, a brother named T. W. who died as a baby, and his parents Thomas and Addye Jo Perry. He is survived by his sister, Mildred Herrmann, his sister Doris Jean Post and her husband Henry Post, his brother Harry R. Perry and his wife Jo, and numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. Born to have his feet in the water, Gerard (Gary) N. Perry was glad to grow up on the bays and bayous of the Gulf Coast after being transplanted from El Dorado, Kansas where he was born on July 27, 1926. Gary and his younger brother Harry spent many happy hours hunting ducks and squirrels, gigging frogs and swimming in the bays around Baytown, Texas. At age 17 Gary joined the United States Navy in 1943 and was sent overseas. When World War II ended and Gary returned home there were many stories to hear about the Philippine Islands, Australia, typhoons in the Pacific and life with friends on their LCI. Next came college at the University of Houston with the help of his G.I. Bill and then the beginning of a career in air conditioning with Armco Steel that would stretch over 30 years. In 1952 Gary married his lovely wife Eleanor G. Dry and the couple settled in Galena Park, Texas for a number of years. Here they opened their home to friends and family and became surrogate parents to Eleanor’s two younger brothers, Aubrey and Audley Dry who lived with them while they attended college. When Gary and Eleanor moved to Morgan’s Point, Texas in the early 1970’s, Gary could walk down his hill, roll up his pants legs and wade right into the bay for a game of fetch with his favorite black Labrador, Major. During these years Gary was an active member of the Morgan’s Point City Council, always supporting the preservation of his community and the well being of the people who lived there. Again, he and Eleanor welcomed family members and shared their home whenever needed. We will all miss this tall, gentle man with the bluest of eyes who spent much of his life taking care of the people who needed him, and we will especially miss sitting with Gary on his hillside and watching the sun go down over the bay. Visitation will be Monday, March 10, 2008 from 6pm to 9pm. Funeral service will be Tuesday, March 11, 2008 at 2pm.Both services will be held at Paul U. Lee Funeral Home in La Porte.