Dr. Leonard Perry

1930 - 2015

Dr. Leonard J. Perry

1930 - 2015 PITTSFIELD Dr. Leonard J. Perry, 84, died Sunday at Berkshire Medical Center after a short illness. Born Sept. 25, 1930, in Pittsfield, he was the son of the late Leonard J. and Thelma L. Mowry Perry. A 1947 graduate of Pittsfield High School, he was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Korean War, serving from July 1951 to July 1955. He graduated from Michigan State University in 1960 with a doctor of veterinary medicine degree. He practiced veterinary medicine in the Boston area for two years, returning to Pittsfield in 1962 to establish his own practice. He opened the Pittsfield Veterinary Hospital on West Housatonic Street in July of that year, retiring in 1996. He was a member of the Pittsfield Rotary Club for more than 25 years and was a former member and president of the Austerlitz (N.Y.) Club. An avid fisherman, one winter he created a fly-filled hat in the style of Col. Henry Blake of "M*A*S*H." In his later years, he became well known for his joke telling, often regaling wait staff of local restaurants in order to bring a smile to their faces. He leaves his wife, the former Elizabeth L. Clark, whom he married on Dec. 20, 1952; three children, Laura C. Perry of Melbourne, FL.; Judith Perry Fairweather and Paul J. Perry, both of Pittsfield; and four grandchildren, one great-grandson and many nieces and nephews. He also leaves his best friends and guardian angels, David J. Tierney Jr. and Mary Tierney of Pittsfield. He was predeceased by his brother, Don. FUNERAL NOTICE: There will be no calling hours. A Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mark Church on West Street in Pittsfield on Friday, May 29, at 10 a.m. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made through Dery Funeral Home, 54 Bradford St., Pittsfield, MA., 01201, to the Berkshire Humane Society's Ken Freeberg Fund, which provides extra medical attention to shelter animals prior to adoption.