Bill Perlman

1947 - 2026

Bill Perlman

Ashfield, MA - SNCC Freedom Singer, Bill Perlman of Ashfield, died rushing into a burning building to save some adorable kittens. All of the cats survived.

Not really… I just wanted to get your attention.

I've had a lot of free time on my hands lately and decided to write my own obituary. While I sincerely hoped that it wouldn't be needed anytime soon, I guess that is not the case.

I've read a lot of obituaries lately. My favorite was written by a man who eulogized his wife by saying, "She used to make hats from scratch. Once she made me a hat from a pizza box and some tin foil." Can't top that.

I don't want my wife to have any say in this whatsoever. Although she is one of the smartest women I have ever known, she will get facts and dates wrong. She will misspell names and place events in the wrong city and decade. She is a fine actress who embellishes each story with what can only be described as a wild Irish imagination. She will highlight my good points and diminish my faults to the point where you won't recognize me.

Please help Trish as much as you can. If you know her at all, you know she is unlikely to ask for assistance, but she will need it. I'm afraid that I have left quite a mess for her to sort out. Don't let her sell the Tesla stock. Make her rent the cottage by the ocean for the month of August. Let her listen to Christmas music whenever the mood strikes her. Most importantly, if you visit, please remove at least one item from my numerous collections.

You don't need to know where I went to school, what my jobs or hobbies were, or who survives me. Figure it out.

You need to know that I wanted to thank each and every one of you personally for giving me the honor of being a part of your life and hopefully making a difference in some way. I will not name names because I agree with Alexander Hamilton who opposed the bill of Rights based on the "Dangerous Omission" argument. He and I believed that a list is inherently incomplete, and that by listing some important things (people) you risk implying that others aren't important. James Madison did his best to rectify this with the ninth amendment, but I'm sticking with the Federalists.

I will make an exception for my grandchildren, Erin, Max and Jamie. Go make the world a better place and you will make me proud.

The rest of you should already know how very special you were to me.

I don't know if I am in a better place, but if you are reading this, I sure am in a different place. Or so the voices tell me.

Bill's life will be celebrated at a future date in both Ashfield and New York. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Southern Poverty Law Center. (splcenter.org)