Gerald J. Jerry Perra Obituary (1931 - 2009)

Gerald "Jerry" J. Perra Age: 78 Residence: Pontiac, IL Date/Place of Death: Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 7:43 PM at OSF St. James John W. Albrecht Med Center, Pontiac, IL Service: Mass will be Monday, August 10, 2009 at 11:00 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Pontiac, IL Clergy: Father David Sabel Visitation: Monday, August 10, 2009 from 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Pontiac, IL Funeral Home: Duffy Funeral Home, Pontiac, IL Burial: will be at a later date Birth Date / Place: July 13, 1931 in Spring Valley, IL Fathers Name: Paul Perra Mothers Maiden Name: Helen Przybysz He married Annabelle Ambrose on October 16, 1953 in Tustin, CA She survives in Pontiac, IL Daughter(S): Jayne (Steve) Hayward of Champaign, IL Brother(S): (2) Al Perra of DePue, IL Paul (Irene) Perra of St. Augustine, FL Sister(S): Gloria O'Neill of Morton Grove, IL Also survived by several nieces and nephews Preceded by: Parents, 1 sister Virginia Calkins Church membership: St. Mary's Catholic Church, Pontiac, IL Education: Gerald graduated from IL Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL with a B.S. Degree in Medical Technology. Upon his graduation he worked as the Laboratory Director at St. James Hospital in Pontiac until 1983. Loving the outdoors and interested in the environment, Gerald then worked at Wolf Creek Golf Club, and later worked at the Elks Country Club on their aesthetics program of beautification of the course. Gerald had a great interest in all spectator sports, was a White Sox and Bears fan. In his high school years he participated in baseball, basketball and football. He loved to cook, garden and fish. Memorials: St. Mary's Catholic Church Building Fund, American Heart Association, American Cancer Association Military: Enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1952. He spent the majority of the 4 year enlistment as a corpsman with the Marines, part of which was a one year tour of duty in Korea.