John M. Perry

John M. Perry, of Woodbury, died peacefully on May 25, 2018 at St. Mary’s hospital in Waterbury, with family surrounding him. Known as Jack, he was born in Shamokin, PA, the son of Agnes M. (Concannon) and James R. Perry at a nearby hospital in Coal Township. He was the beloved husband of Eileen Perry for nearly 50 years. 

He spent early years in Shamokin, and then traveled with his Air Force family, living in places including Pennsylvania, Kansas, South Dakota, Maine and Okinawa, Japan. As an adult he also traveled, visiting places including England, Paris, Ireland, Iceland, Brazil, Barbados, Japan, Switzerland, St. John and Newfoundland. He saw 47 of the 50 states.

He graduated from Our Lady of Lourdes High School in Shamokin, and earned an associates degree in surveying from City College of San Francisco. He served honorably in the U.S. Navy, and was a member of the Hurricane Hunters, a group that tracked and flew into hurricanes.

He met his wife, Eileen, in San Francisco, where they lived for five years after their marriage. They loved attending rock music concerts and visiting art museums. Jack worked as a map draftsman for Southern Pacific Railroad in the city. 

After returning to Connecticut to live, he worked for several companies, notably Qualitron and Limat Graphics in Danbury. They lived in Danbury, Southbury and Woodbury.

He developed an avid, abiding and skilled interest in photography and chronicled family events, friendships, landscapes and floral portraits that are spectacular. He also became a hot air balloon pilot, and the greatest joy of his life was riding the winds aloft.

The family wishes to honor the doctors and health professional staff in the Critical Care Unit at St. Mary’s hospital, whose compassionate and skilled care was deeply appreciated.

He had a great sense of humor, often using it quietly with one person. He was a kind man, and he often paid attention to those who were sad or feeling ill at ease. . He had a strong eye for beauty. He loved his wife and home, friends and family, ballooning, country drives, taking photographs, traveling, SAAB cars, Yosemite, camping in Maine, vacations and boondoggle adventures.

He is survived by his wife Eileen; his siblings and their families, all of PA, Mike and Becky Perry of Strasburg, Dave and Carol Perry of Millersville, Anne (Perry) Vogt of Lancaster, Carole (Perry) and Daryl Hohenwarter of Strasburg, and Jim Perry of Columbia; his sister-in-law Lorna Sager of Manchester, CT, his brother-in-law Randall Weiss and wife Linden of Chaplin; and nieces and nephews Christian Sager, Leigh Sager, Emma Weiss, Felecia and Jeffrey Perry, Matthew, Jennifer , Carolyn, Daniel and Jack Vogt, Stephen and Eric Hohenwarter, and Marysue, Destiny and Lisa Perry. He also is survived by great nieces and nephews; he was very fond of Theo and Fay Sager.

Those wishing to make memorial contributions may send donations (or offer them online) to Friends of Acadia, 43 Cottage Street, P.O. Box 45, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, website www.friendsofacadia.org; CT Against Gun Violence, P.O. Box 123, Ridgefield, CT 06877, website www.cagv.org; or Sandy Hook Promise Foundation, P. O. Box 3489, Newtown, CT 06470, Attn. Development, website www.sandyhookpromise.org.

A memorial service will take place at 3 pm Saturday, July 28, 2018 at the grass strip Good Hill Farm Airport, Roxbury, at the corner of Route 317 and Upper Grassy Hill Road, Roxbury, CT. Interment will be private. Arrangements were by Munson-Lovetere, Woodbury, CT. 

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