Palestine High School Alumni Association

01 / 26 / 1937  –  09 / 24 / 1989

Services for Tony Frederick Perry, will be at 10 a.m. Wednesday at First Baptist Church with Rev. Lynn Parker and Mike Naron officiating.  Burial will be Garden of Memories Cemetery in Elkhart under the direction of Herrington Land of Memory Funeral Home.

Mr. Perry died Sunday at Baylor Medical Center in Dallas after a lengthy illness.  He was born January 26, 1937 in Palestine, son of Clarence A. “Sonny” and Zeffie Williams Perry.  He started serving in the Palestine Police Department in 1965 and served about 20 years.  He was a captain and deuty chief at the time of his death.  He was honored as Pride Patrolman in 1974.

He was a lifetime resident of Palestine, except during the 8 1/2 years he served in the Army with assignments in Korea, Hawaii and Georgia.  He was a 1955 graduate of Palestine High School and a 1980 graduate of the University of Texas at Tyler.  Mr. Perry was coordinator of the City Emergency Management office during the 1987 tornado.  He was a member of the Palestine Kiwanis Club and a lifetime member of First Baptist Church.  He served as a girls softball coach for the local White Sox Champion Team in the Texas Teenage Softball Association in 1977.  In 1980, he was assistant coach for the Hawks team.

He is survived by his wife, Martha Ann Perry of Palestine; a son, William Joseph “B.J.” Perry of Palestine; daughters, Mrs. Jeffrey (Charlene) Presley of Balch Springs, and Mrs. (Toni Lynn) Rogers and Kathleen Perry, both of Palestine; his mother of Palestine; brother, Charles Perry of Jacksonville, Larry Perry of Houston, and David Perry of Palestine; sisters, Mrs. Howard (Joan) Huffman of Palestine and Mrs. Delmar (Mary Beth) Godwin of Houston; sister-in-law, Joyce Cleveland of Elkhart; and seven grandchildren.

Pallbearers will be Ronnie Brownlow, Pete Todd, Robert Meyer, Richard Giles, Bob Jamison, Jerry Pat Francis and Jack Rogers.

Source:  Palestine Herald Press