Annie Perry

Annie Perry departed this life for her eternal home on Tuesday, January 28, 2025. She was born Annie Maude Marks in Madison, GA from the union of Virgie Bell and Wiley Marks. At the age of 7, she moved to Jamesburg, NJ and attended the Jamesburg School District. Later in life, Ann graduated from the Monmouth Bible Institute.
Ann met the love of her life Lee Darnell Perry Sr. of Freehold NJ. The two were just 19 years old when they married and were married for 51 years before Darnell's passing in 2016.
From their union they had three sons Anthony Harold Marks, Timothy Darnell Perry, and Lee Darnell Perry Jr.
Ann and Darnell moved their young family to Freehold, NJ. There she and Darnell and their three sons made a home, made lifelong relationships and made an impact in Freehold. Ann truly loved the community, town and neighborhood Freehold, NJ.
Ann was known for her sweet, kind and gracious personality. She dearly loved her family and friends and throughout her life was seen as a hub, a person you could go to, a person who valued you and a person who cared.
She often made a lasting impression of both gentleness, hope and enthusiasm. Ann loved being a hostess and was a great cook. Over the years, countless spur of the moment dinners were made in her home for family, friends and neighbors who were just dropping by. Yet, Ann always made room for another in her heart and at her dinner table. Her love preceded the meal. That same demeanor would be carried out in her extended family.
She was the primary catalyst and organizer in the early Marks Family Reunions. Looking back, they were simple but precious park gatherings of the Marks family meeting in Thompson Park in Jamesburg, NJ which still involved lots of work and organization but that simplicity richly paid dividends in the woven memories, an unending tight family bond and the precedent that it set for the beautiful and lavish reunions that the family has this present day.
Ann was not only a great cook, but she was fun, funny and could make you laugh, and she loved to dance. Ann often won dance contests as a teen and as a young woman. She danced all the time. She and Darnell enjoyed line dancing and would Step in the Name of Love every chance they got and after Darnell got tired, Ann would keep on dancing.
The two were great athletes also. Darnell was known for his high school basketball and football talents and played flag football with the Freehold Chiefs flag football team as an adult. Ann enjoyed bowling and softball and for years played in the local women's softball league where she pitched and played first base with her best friends Joan Williams and Jeanette Henderson.
But Ann and Darnell's athleticism and love of sports paid off and continued to pay off through their DNA. Two of their sons played college and professional basketball Tim: Temple Univ, Phoenix Suns, 76ers and Lee Jr.: Rutgers Univ and South American League) As for their oldest kid, Tony, that non-athletic one, he wrote this letter of love, this obituary that would make both his Dad smile and make his Mom smile and say, "You could write for Obama." Yet the couple's athletic genes continue to pay off in the next generation, their grandchildren. All of their grandkids played sports in high school and three collegiate athletes - Timothy Jr. (Drexel Univ.-Basketball). Nylah currently (Univ of Iowa & Colorado Univ.-Track) and LiNay currently (Northern Arizona Univ.-Track).
Ann didn't just live in the community. She was actively a part of it. She often lent her hand and her time especially to those in need. Over the years she has supported many functions and activities throughout town. She'd often be found at Freehold High School football and basketball games with her best friend Jeanette Henderson and the late Hattie Smith.
She was a founding member of Progressive Citizens and when there was no Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday, she and many young mothers kept their kids from school to honor the life of the slain Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The day wasn't a freebie for Ann's sons where they could skip school and just watch TV or play outside.
They'd find themselves honoring King's legacy by reciting or reading his speeches or reading poetry at a hall or in a church. And perhaps by millions of mothers like Ann actively and intentionally withdrawing their children from school for a day MLK became a federal holiday in 1983 and nationally celebrated in 1986.
Ann simply loved God and loved people. She was baptized into Christ at an early age and followed God all of her life. As a child she attended Mt. Ararat Missionary Baptist Church, Jamesburg, NJ. Once she married, she became a member a Bethany Baptist Church, Farmingdale, NJ for over 50 years. She served God and served people inside and outside of the church.
Sister Ann Perry was more than and usher, choir member and wife of a deacon, Ann Perry was an integral part of Bethany Baptist Church ministering where needed. Her hands were an extension of God's hand in and outside of Bethany. That was her calling and vocation that she fulfilled until her last breath. As far as her physical vocation Ann worked several places. She was a preschool teacher along with her best friend/ sister the late Alma Wesby. And many of her preschool kids still remember her. Just months ago she had a visitor come to her home. It was one of her preschool students who fondly remembers her.
She worked at Brockway Glass. She was the backbone of her husband's trucking company L&S Trucking managing the books and the budget. But for 31 years she was a school bus driver for Freehold Regional High School District, retiring in 2016. She was loved by the kids she transported and their parents. Once there was a serious mishap on a flight Ann was on many, many years ago that was frightening.
Afterwards, she developed a lifelong fear of flying that she couldn't shake, yet she continued and saw much of the world with her husband because he liked to travel but primarily because seven of her nine grandchildren live in California and oh how she loved them!
The lady, Annie M. Perry known for her love, humor and kindness wasn't rich but she leaves behind a wealthy legacy. She leaves behind a godly path to follow and to forge ahead with God's help. Ann leaves behind an example of love, generosity and even a smile to give to someone else.
She leaves behind her three sons: Anthony Marks (Margie) and their two sons Jared and Justin and grandsons Jasiah Marks and Malakai Bartlett; Her son Timothy (Shelby) and their children Timothy Jr. and Nylah; Her son Lee Jr. (Jeanette) and their children LiQuan Hunt-Perry, LiQuasia Hunt, LeAnna Perry, LiNya Perry, LiNay Perry and grandson LJ LeJon Hunt; her sisters Virgie Lee Robinson and Carrie Bell Massey and sister/niece Kathleen Carmen; her beloved sister-in-law Lucy Mitchell Schenck and beloved brother-in-law Stanley Qawiy, her cherished Perry nieces and nephews and Marks 28 nieces and 21 nephews and her best friends known as the Golden Girls; Joan Williams and Jeanette Henderson, the late Mary Williams and the late Alma Wesby who brought her so much joy.
Favor is deceitful and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised. (Proverbs 31:30)
Services will be held on Saturday February 8, 2025 Bethel A.M.E. Church, 3 Waterworks Rd, Freehold, NJ 07728. The viewing will be held from 9:00am - 11:00am and funeral services will be held at 11:00am.
Entombment will follow at Maplewood Chapel Mausoleum, Freehold.