Obituary of William Perry

William J. Perry, a resident of Burlington since 1962, passed away at the Lahey Clinic Medical Center on Wednesday, February 20, 2008. The husband of Pauline (Souza) he was 76 years old. Mr. Perry was born and raised in Cambridge. He was the son of the late Manuel and Maria Perry. He was a veteran of the Korean War serving his country in the United States Army. He was the recipient of the Occupational Medal, Germany and the National Defense Service Medal. He and his wife moved to Burlington in 1962. After his retirement he moved to Florida for 5 years before returning to Burlington for the last 11 years. Mr. Perry worked as a Letter Carrier for the Lexington Post Office for 26 years. He had enjoyed his profession and customers on his route. He was an advocate for the elderly working as a Shine Counselor in Woburn. Mr. Perry’s life was all about his family. He coached girl’s softball and enjoyed the many activities of his children and in later years his grandchildren. Mr. Perry was the beloved husband of Pauline (Souza) Perry. He was the loving father of Janet & her husband Stephen Consolmagno of Burlington, Kevin Perry & his wife Jean of Burlington, Dianne & her husband Michael Galante of Billerica, Sharon & her husband John Duggan of Burlington. He was the proud grandfather of Courtney Dube, Nicole & Joshua Perry, Brittany & Kayla Galante, and Madison & Tyler Duggan. Funeral from the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON (Exit 34 off Rt.128, Woburn side) on Monday, Feb. 25 at 8:30 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Margaret’s Church, 111 Winn St., Burlington at 10 a.m. Visiting hours Sunday 3-6 p.m. Relatives and friends are respectfully invited. Interment will be private. Memorial’s in William’s name may be made to the American Heart Association, 20 Speen St., Framingham, MA 01701. Our Dad A man with many different names: Dad, Papa, Puppies, Pops, Big Guy and BILL! He answered to all. He was an unbelievable father, remarkable grandfather, great father-in law and a loving and devoted husband to our mother. We always knew how much he loved her just by the way he looked at her; you could see the love he had for her in his eyes, he thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He was proud to be by her side and we all knew it. If mom asked him to go to the store to get milk and bread, he would be gone for hours talking the ears off the people who worked there. Mom would pace the house saying, how long does it take to pick up milk and bread? He must be talking to someone. He loved to talk to anyone who would listen. He was a man of many words. Our dad loved to stay at home it made him feel content. If we ever needed our dad, we always knew where to find him in his chair in front of the TV with remote in hand. He was there to answer any of our questions. It did not matter if it was about the swimming pool, our lawns, plumbing, electrical, car problems, taxes, or health insurance. He had all the answers and if he did not, he would spend his time getting the answer for us. If you ever needed the weather forecast, he was the one to call but you would find out not only your local weather but Florida’s weather as well. If we needed directions, Dad was the one to go to, but plan on having at least an hour because he would give you every landmark old and new and every street name on your way, but he always got us where we needed to go. Dad loved watching the fights but watching him was much more entertaining. He would sit in his chair with his fists clenched and moved his shoulders left and right acting as if he was the one in the ring. Watching him was exhausting. He loved watching the Red Sox, Patriots, and Bruins but his fingernails ended up quite short because of his love for sports. If you ever dared to sit on the floor in front of him, beware because he would grab you with both of his legs and squeeze. He used to laugh watching us try to get out of his hold. He loved to sing but never knew all the words to any song. He learned how to hum quite well because if he whistled it would drive our mom nuts. He used to sing on the good ship lollipop and the Adam’s family theme song to his grandchildren. Sometimes when he sang, he sounded like he was gargling at the same time, one of his many talents. He loved to walk around the house and say, “bum, bum, bum.” All these sounds our dad made will be greatly missed but will never be forgotten. We are so thankful to our dad for being just that…our dad. He had the biggest heart, biggest belly and yet he was so gentle. He loved not only our mother but also each one of our spouses, our children, and us. His patience was immeasurable and his love for us was unmistakable. We are very lucky to have had such a wonderful father and best friend. Dad, we love you and miss you more than you will ever know. We will hold the memories of you in our hearts. One day we will all be together again but like you would always say, “Wait awhile.”