Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Team Perry walked more than 170 miles at this year's Relay for Life in honor of Jack Perry.
Team Perry walked a total of 176 miles at this year's Relay for Life in honor of the late Jack Perry, a former College Park councilmember who died earlier this year from liver cancer. At sunset, each team member was invited to light a candle in honor of a loved one. These candles were lit for Perry. "This is from the luninaria ceremony at dusk," Sean Perry wrote in an e-mail to Patch. "It is a solemn moment when everyone who has survived cancer or lost their life to cancer is remembered. A candle is lit in their honor or their memory."
Friday, April 20, 2012
Colleagues of former city councilman Jack Perry said they often disagreed with him, but his love for the city ran deep.
Longtime City Councilman John Edward “Jack” Perry of Berwyn—a man of strong convictions, conservative politics, and a love of family and community—died Monday morning, at the age of 69. Just months after retiring from council, he succumbed to the liver cancer he battled since 2009. During his 26 years on the council, Perry became known as a watchdog for taxpayer money who spoke bluntly and often dissented from the majority vote, though he always provided the rationale for his beliefs. "Yes, a lot of times I didn't agree with people here," Perry said at his last council meeting in December. "But you have to have a 'nay' vote ... If you weren't making waves, you weren't moving." He was honored at a reception that month, when so many leaders…
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
Former city councilman John E. "Jack" Perry died on Monday morning.
The viewing and burial for former College Park City Councilman John E. "Jack" Perry, who died on Monday, have been scheduled for later this week. The viewing will be 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church. A Catholic Mass will take place at 10 a.m. on Friday, also at Holy Redeemer. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Washington, D.C. following the mass. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made to the American Cancer Society Relay For Life Catonsville, Team Perry. Perry served as a city council member for District 2 from 1979 to 1983 and from 1989 to 2011. He was honored at a ceremony in December for his service, where officials and family members shared stories about Perry…
Monday, April 16, 2012
College Park community mourns the loss of longtime public servant.
Former College Park City Councilman Jack Perry died Monday morning, according to The Gazette which cited city officials. Perry, 69, represented District 2 on city council for 26 years— first from 1979 to 1983 and then from 1989 to 2011. He also served as mayor pro tem under two mayors. He chose not to run for re-election in 2011 due to an illness. “[The job] has gotten old, and I’ve gotten older,” he told Patch in January. In that interview earlier this year, Perry couldn't point to one accomplishment from his tenure that made him “most proud,” saying instead he “feels good about all of them.” Perry and his wife Kathleen lived in College Park for 40 years, raising their six children. His retirement from council was a mutual decision, he …
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Here's a rundown of a busy Patch news week.
It's game day. Is College Park a Purple city? And will the Redskins fans around here be rooting for the Ravens this playoff season? Take the Patch Poll and let us know. Jack Perry An institutional presence is absent from the 2012 College Park Mayor and Council meetings: Jack Perry retired after 26 years as a city councilman. In addition to being dedicated to the city, Perry is a dedicated family man. Cafritz Cafritz developers could be cutting the tiny College Park portion out of the Whole Foods Market project that sits primarily in Riverdale Park, after City Council voted 6-2 Tuesday to oppose the developers' rezoning application. This is after College Park, University Park and Riverdale Park agreed upon a list of conditions with the…
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Family and colleagues talk about Jack Perry's leadership, as he says goodbye to more than two decades of public service.
For Colleen Gruber, who grew up in a town where everyone knew her dad, leisurely walks with the family were far from ordinary. Gruber, known by many as the “baby” of retired Councilman Jack Perry’s six children, has fond memories of her father visiting with constituents while out for evening strolls. “We’d go for walks after dinner and my sister, Jen, and I would always bring our bikes,” Gruber, 27, said. “We joked that we were going for a ‘walk’ and dad was going for a ‘talk,’ because if we saw anyone outside or sitting on their porch, he’d always go up and talk to them, and we would end up riding our bikes around the neighborhood.” This month Perry ended 26 years of public service as a District 2 city councilman, a position he held from …
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Past and present city leaders described Perry as a man with integrity, consistency and devotion to College Park and his family.
Jack Perry is retiring after 26 years on the College Park City Council, serving District 2. That's just one year fewer than Councilman Marcus Afzali has been alive, the District 4 representative pointed out at a reception honoring Perry Tuesday night. There was no sitting room left in the Council Chambers of City Hall, where Perry's family members, city residents and leaders gathered to honor Perry, who served as councilman from 1979 to 1983 and from 1989 to present. Several past and present public officials spoke about Perry's integrity, his commitment to the city and his family, and his willingness to vote against the majority opinion. "This gentleman made sure we were not a rubber stamp," Former Mayor Joe Page said. Check back on …
Tina Karhoff Kessler
5:38 pm on Thursday, April 19, 2012
Jack Perry was one of my dad's best friends. They went to grade school and high school together. I heard many stories of when they were members of the Young Adult Club at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church. I have many found memories of the Perry Family attending cook-outs in our backyard. No doubt about it, Mr. Perry had a positive influence on every life he touched. He will be missed by all! … more ›