Dr. Richard H. Perry Jr.

Dr. Richard H. Perry Jr. 81

Dick Perry passed away December 12, 2010 at Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George, Utah. Born December 24, 1928 in Charlestown, NH he was the son of the late Richard H. Perry and Marion (Watson) Perry.

As a boy, Dick was an altar boy at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Charlestown where his father was the organist. He learned to play piano, ski, hunt partridge, and play tennis and he attended summer camp at the YMCA Camp Takodah in Keene, NH. He worked at his father’s general store and graduated from Kimball Union Academy in 1947 (Meriden, NH), where he played football, and competed in track and ski jumping.

He graduated from Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT in 1951 and went on to attend and graduate from Dental School at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA in 1955. Dr. Perry joined the Navy and from 1956-1958 he was a Lieutenant and Dentist Officer on-board the USS Des Moines which was stationed mostly in the Mediterranean and Hamburg, Germany. After leaving the Navy, he attended Orthodontic School from 1958-1960 at the University of Montreal in Montreal, Quebec.

Dick married Elizabeth Jean Barnes in January, 1960 in Montreal, Quebec. They spent 50+ years together and settled in Greenfield, MA where he established his orthodontic practice. Dick was active in the Greenfield community as a Kiwanis Club President, a Greenfield School Committee member, a chairman of the United Way fund drive in 1970 and a Deacon at the Second Congregational Church. He sang in the church choir- even though he could never really hold a tune, and led a church youth group with his wife, Jean. His professional career found him not only with a practice in Greenfield but also a satellite office in Brattleboro, VT. He was a past president of the North American Begg Society and held leadership positions within the American Association of Orthodontics.

Dick, Jean and their children spent many summers and winter weekends at their family home on Lake Sunapee in Newbury, NH, where he enjoyed playing tennis at the Lake Sunapee Yacht Club, golf at the Lake Sunapee Country Club, towing his kids around waterskiing and alpine skiing with his family at Mount Sunapee. They moved full time to Newbury in 1994 and were members of the First Baptist Church in New London, NH. Dick continued his active lifestyle by skiing and participating in age 65+ ski races and playing golf in the summers. They moved from Newbury to New London, NH in 2001. He retired in 2003 and they moved to Sun River in St. George, Utah in 2005 where they continued to play golf and become involved in their new community. He loved being “on stage” and joined the Sun River Class Act Theater Club, acting in 3 plays over the last 2 years. They became members of the Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church and made many new friends through that community. He was frequently found walking the treadmill at the community center fitness room a few days each week. His favorite sports teams were the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots.

In addition to his loving wife, he is survived by his daughter Daphne Perry and her husband Bill Kushner of Salt Lake City, Utah, his daughter Betsy Perry-Smith and her husband Rick Smith of Cumberland, Maine, his son Frank Perry of West Valley City, Utah, five grandchildren: Hope Perry, Faith Perry, Charity Perry, McKenzie Kushner and Michael Smith; and his step-mother Ann Newcomb-Perry of New London, NH, and his step-siblings Phillip Newcomb of Alpine, WY, Warren Newcomb Charlestown, NH, and Nancy (Newcomb) Peacock of Norwich, VT.

Memorial Services/Life Celebrations for Dr. Richard H. Perry Jr. will be held at the Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church in St. George, UT on Saturday January 15, 2011 at 11 AM and ALSO at the First Baptist Church in New London, NH in summer of 2011. Memorial contributions in Dick’s name may be made to the New London Hospital, 273 County Road, New London, NH 03257 or to the Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church, 920 S. Tonaquint Dr, St George, UT 84790 or to your favorite charity.