Mr. John Perry Nelson

John Perry Nelson joined his Lord and Savior on June 7, 2025, after a short but
courageous battle with cancer. Perry was born on April 29, 1958, in Tallahassee, Florida
to the late Charlie Paul Nelson and Shirley Raker Nelson. He was a proud graduate of
Leon High School, where he was a member of the jazz band and the Leon High
Marching Redcoats, and earned his electronic engineering degree from Ohio Institute of
Technology. Perry married Cathy Tully in 2000, with whom he had three children he
adored: Alex Paul, Morgan Olivia, and Matthew Perry Nelson.
Perry used his degree in electronic engineering in his work at Western Electric in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina; Gold Line in Dansbury, Connecticut; and General
Dynamics in Tallahassee, but the real work of his life revolved around music. He was
known for his mastery of the drums, and those familiar with the Tallahassee music
scene will remember seeing him play with bands such as Slapstick, John Kurzweg and
the Night, 911, Public Address, Four Sticks, and others. He also taught drums and ran a
small recording studio, helping other local artists record their work. For years he has
also been in the "rotation" to run the sound board at East Hill Baptist Church, the church
where he grew up, making the cranky sound system work when no one else could. He
was never ashamed to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Perry loved his family deeply. Growing up, his father Paul would take Perry and
his brother Park to the local drag strip, which started a lifelong love for cars and all
things involved with racing. He and Park continued to attend races as adults and he
passed the fascination down to his son Alex, with whom he spent many weekends
following all types of speed sports throughout Florida. He was a great "girl dad,"
attending daughter-daddy dances with Morgan and enjoying her own love for drums.
Perry shared his family history with his children, including the details of his trip to Japan
with his father on the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa, and the things he
learned of his father's service in World War II. Matthew continues Perry's music legacy,
but with a trumpet, and has been playing with the band for Slapstick reunions the last
two years. Perry encouraged his children to never stop learning and showed them
through his final days a father that fought for life and kept his spirits high. In Matthew's
words, "He was the coolest dad ever."
Perry's story is incomplete without including his fiancée and the love of his life,
Cindy Stieber. Perry and Cindy met in college, dated when they both lived in Winston-
Salem, and then went their separate ways. While they did not see each other for years,
they never forgot each other. When Perry next saw Cindy, he proposed, and they were
planning to marry this summer. Perry's family could not have asked for a more devoted
and loving person caring for him during his illness. While they did not have the chance
to marry, she is in our hearts a vital part of the family.
Perry is preceded in death by his parents, Charlie Paul Nelson and Shirley Raker
Nelson.
He is survived by his fiancée, Cindy Stieber; his children, Alex, Morgan, and
Matthew Perry; his brother, David Park Nelson (Li); his nephew, Kenny Nelson
(Carolina) and niece, Bethany Nelson (William Lane); his aunt and uncle, Dave and
Susan Raker; and his beloved cousins, Diane Owens (Tim), Cyndy Marks (Lee), and
Karen Thomas (John), and a host of other relatives that he held dear.
A celebration of his life will be held at The Moon, 1105 East Lafayette Street, Tallahassee, Florida at 5:00 p.m., the night of, Thursday, June 12, 2025.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Big Bend Hospice or East Hill Baptist Church.