KNOXVILLE - William Harold Perry, age 82, formerly of Knoxville, died at 1:35 a.m. Sunday, Aug.17, 2008, at Royal Oaks Care Center in Kewanee. He had a 10-month courageous battle with lung cancer.
Harold was born in Solway, Ky. on Oct. 3, 1925, the son of William McKinley and Lila Spencer Perry.
Harold worked at Oak Ridge, Tenn., in 1944 as a time keeper. This is where the atomic bomb was built. He joined the Navy later that year. He was on the USS Manila Bay in the South Pacific. He received five major battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. When he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, he went back to high school. He was voted class president. He later moved to Illinois. Harold met his wife to be, Audrey Marie Johnson, on his birthday Oct. 3, 1948. They were married four months later on Feb. 6, 1949, at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville. She preceded him in death on Nov. 21, 2005. Also preceding him in death were his parents, two brothers and two sisters.
He is survived by a daughter, Cynthia (Donald) Anderson of Bettendorf, Iowa; a son, Steven (Roxanne) Perry of Houston; one brother, Wilbur "Buster" (Barbara) Perry of Knoxville; one sister, Mildred (Chester) Moore of Galesburg; four grandchildren, Sherry (Daniel) Kincaid of Galesburg, Jake Ryder of Davenport, Iowa, Lindsey Perry of Macomb and Emily Perry of Elgin. He is also survived by several cousins and nieces and nephews.
He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, Harry Philblad American Legion Post 749 of Knoxville, VFW Post 2257 of Galesburg, Pacific Masonic Lodge 66, AF&AM of Knoxville and had served on the Grace Lutheran Church Council.
Harold worked 22 years at Sears in Galesburg and several years as a janitor and bus driver for Knoxville School District 202. He was the Knox County organizer for Ross Perot's presidential bid in 1992. He delivered Meals on Wheels for several years. Harold enjoyed golfing and had been a member of Lake Bracken Country Club. On his birthday in 1997, he made his first hole-in-one. But his favorite hole-in-one came on Jan. 1, 2000. It is believed he was the first person in the Midwest to have a hole in one in the new millennium. He was an avid pitch and bridge player.
Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, the Rev. Michel D. Clark officiating. Visitation will be 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the church. Burial will be in Swedish Cemetery located on South Division Street, South of Swedenburg Road, in Knoxville, with military rites conducted by Ralph M. Noble American Legion Post 285 of Galesburg. Hurd-Hendricks Funeral Home and Crematory, Knoxville, is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to The Swedish Cemetery Fund, c/o Grace Lutheran Church, Knoxville.
Online condolences may be made at www.hurd-hendricksfuneralhome.com.
Published in The Register-Mail on 8/19/2008
Harold was born in Solway, Ky. on Oct. 3, 1925, the son of William McKinley and Lila Spencer Perry.
Harold worked at Oak Ridge, Tenn., in 1944 as a time keeper. This is where the atomic bomb was built. He joined the Navy later that year. He was on the USS Manila Bay in the South Pacific. He received five major battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. When he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, he went back to high school. He was voted class president. He later moved to Illinois. Harold met his wife to be, Audrey Marie Johnson, on his birthday Oct. 3, 1948. They were married four months later on Feb. 6, 1949, at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville. She preceded him in death on Nov. 21, 2005. Also preceding him in death were his parents, two brothers and two sisters.
He is survived by a daughter, Cynthia (Donald) Anderson of Bettendorf, Iowa; a son, Steven (Roxanne) Perry of Houston; one brother, Wilbur "Buster" (Barbara) Perry of Knoxville; one sister, Mildred (Chester) Moore of Galesburg; four grandchildren, Sherry (Daniel) Kincaid of Galesburg, Jake Ryder of Davenport, Iowa, Lindsey Perry of Macomb and Emily Perry of Elgin. He is also survived by several cousins and nieces and nephews.
He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, Harry Philblad American Legion Post 749 of Knoxville, VFW Post 2257 of Galesburg, Pacific Masonic Lodge 66, AF&AM of Knoxville and had served on the Grace Lutheran Church Council.
Harold worked 22 years at Sears in Galesburg and several years as a janitor and bus driver for Knoxville School District 202. He was the Knox County organizer for Ross Perot's presidential bid in 1992. He delivered Meals on Wheels for several years. Harold enjoyed golfing and had been a member of Lake Bracken Country Club. On his birthday in 1997, he made his first hole-in-one. But his favorite hole-in-one came on Jan. 1, 2000. It is believed he was the first person in the Midwest to have a hole in one in the new millennium. He was an avid pitch and bridge player.
Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, the Rev. Michel D. Clark officiating. Visitation will be 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the church. Burial will be in Swedish Cemetery located on South Division Street, South of Swedenburg Road, in Knoxville, with military rites conducted by Ralph M. Noble American Legion Post 285 of Galesburg. Hurd-Hendricks Funeral Home and Crematory, Knoxville, is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to The Swedish Cemetery Fund, c/o Grace Lutheran Church, Knoxville.
Online condolences may be made at www.hurd-hendricksfuneralhome.com.
Published in The Register-Mail on 8/19/2008
KNOXVILLE - William Harold Perry, age 82, formerly of Knoxville, died at 1:35 a.m. Sunday, Aug.17, 2008, at Royal Oaks Care Center in Kewanee. He had a 10-month courageous battle with lung cancer.
Harold was born in Solway, Ky. on Oct. 3, 1925, the son of William McKinley and Lila Spencer Perry.
Harold worked at Oak Ridge, Tenn., in 1944 as a time keeper. This is where the atomic bomb was built. He joined the Navy later that year. He was on the USS Manila Bay in the South Pacific. He received five major battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. When he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, he went back to high school. He was voted class president. He later moved to Illinois. Harold met his wife to be, Audrey Marie Johnson, on his birthday Oct. 3, 1948. They were married four months later on Feb. 6, 1949, at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville. She preceded him in death on Nov. 21, 2005. Also preceding him in death were his parents, two brothers and two sisters.
He is survived by a daughter, Cynthia (Donald) Anderson of Bettendorf, Iowa; a son, Steven (Roxanne) Perry of Houston; one brother, Wilbur "Buster" (Barbara) Perry of Knoxville; one sister, Mildred (Chester) Moore of Galesburg; four grandchildren, Sherry (Daniel) Kincaid of Galesburg, Jake Ryder of Davenport, Iowa, Lindsey Perry of Macomb and Emily Perry of Elgin. He is also survived by several cousins and nieces and nephews.
He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, Harry Philblad American Legion Post 749 of Knoxville, VFW Post 2257 of Galesburg, Pacific Masonic Lodge 66, AF&AM of Knoxville and had served on the Grace Lutheran Church Council.
Harold worked 22 years at Sears in Galesburg and several years as a janitor and bus driver for Knoxville School District 202. He was the Knox County organizer for Ross Perot's presidential bid in 1992. He delivered Meals on Wheels for several years. Harold enjoyed golfing and had been a member of Lake Bracken Country Club. On his birthday in 1997, he made his first hole-in-one. But his favorite hole-in-one came on Jan. 1, 2000. It is believed he was the first person in the Midwest to have a hole in one in the new millennium. He was an avid pitch and bridge player.
Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, the Rev. Michel D. Clark officiating. Visitation will be 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the church. Burial will be in Swedish Cemetery located on South Division Street, South of Swedenburg Road, in Knoxville, with military rites conducted by Ralph M. Noble American Legion Post 285 of Galesburg. Hurd-Hendricks Funeral Home and Crematory, Knoxville, is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to The Swedish Cemetery Fund, c/o Grace Lutheran Church, Knoxville.
Online condolences may be made at www.hurd-hendricksfuneralhome.com.
Published in The Register-Mail on 8/19/2008
Harold was born in Solway, Ky. on Oct. 3, 1925, the son of William McKinley and Lila Spencer Perry.
Harold worked at Oak Ridge, Tenn., in 1944 as a time keeper. This is where the atomic bomb was built. He joined the Navy later that year. He was on the USS Manila Bay in the South Pacific. He received five major battle stars and a Presidential Unit Citation. When he was discharged from the Navy in 1946, he went back to high school. He was voted class president. He later moved to Illinois. Harold met his wife to be, Audrey Marie Johnson, on his birthday Oct. 3, 1948. They were married four months later on Feb. 6, 1949, at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville. She preceded him in death on Nov. 21, 2005. Also preceding him in death were his parents, two brothers and two sisters.
He is survived by a daughter, Cynthia (Donald) Anderson of Bettendorf, Iowa; a son, Steven (Roxanne) Perry of Houston; one brother, Wilbur "Buster" (Barbara) Perry of Knoxville; one sister, Mildred (Chester) Moore of Galesburg; four grandchildren, Sherry (Daniel) Kincaid of Galesburg, Jake Ryder of Davenport, Iowa, Lindsey Perry of Macomb and Emily Perry of Elgin. He is also survived by several cousins and nieces and nephews.
He was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, Harry Philblad American Legion Post 749 of Knoxville, VFW Post 2257 of Galesburg, Pacific Masonic Lodge 66, AF&AM of Knoxville and had served on the Grace Lutheran Church Council.
Harold worked 22 years at Sears in Galesburg and several years as a janitor and bus driver for Knoxville School District 202. He was the Knox County organizer for Ross Perot's presidential bid in 1992. He delivered Meals on Wheels for several years. Harold enjoyed golfing and had been a member of Lake Bracken Country Club. On his birthday in 1997, he made his first hole-in-one. But his favorite hole-in-one came on Jan. 1, 2000. It is believed he was the first person in the Midwest to have a hole in one in the new millennium. He was an avid pitch and bridge player.
Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 21, at Grace Lutheran Church in Knoxville, the Rev. Michel D. Clark officiating. Visitation will be 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 20, at the church. Burial will be in Swedish Cemetery located on South Division Street, South of Swedenburg Road, in Knoxville, with military rites conducted by Ralph M. Noble American Legion Post 285 of Galesburg. Hurd-Hendricks Funeral Home and Crematory, Knoxville, is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to The Swedish Cemetery Fund, c/o Grace Lutheran Church, Knoxville.
Online condolences may be made at www.hurd-hendricksfuneralhome.com.
Published in The Register-Mail on 8/19/2008
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