Kenneth Wilbur Perry

Kenneth Wilbur Perry, 93, professor emeritus of accountancy at the University of Illinois, died on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, at his home in Champaign.
Perry was born on May 21, 1919, in Lawrenceburg to Ollie Townsend and Minnie Bell Monroe Perry. He married Shirley Jane Kimball on Sept. 5, 1942, in Oklahoma. She preceded him in death on Jan. 20, 2005.
He is survived by his daughter, Constance June ""Kay"" (Linden) Warfel of Tolono; five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. His sisters Maxine Hawkins and Pauline Sims, both of Lawrenceburg, and his brother Gary Perry, of Louisville, also survive him. He was preceded in death by his parents, by sisters Christine Giles and Jean Springate, and by brothers Gus Perry, Ollie T. Perry Jr., and Robert ""Red"" Perry.
Perry attended Eastern Kentucky University on a football scholarship, earning a bachelor's degree in business in 1942. He went on to earn a master's degree in economics from Ohio University in 1949 and a doctoral degree in accountancy from the University of Illinois in 1953. He was a certified public accountant (CPA).
Perry served in the United States Army from 1942 to 1946, and then served in the United States Army Reserve, retiring with the rank of colonel in 1972. He was a graduate of the United States Army Chinese Language School and Command and the General Staff College.
He began his university teaching career in 1949 at Berea College in Berea, Ky. In 1950, he began his doctoral studies at the University of Illinois College of Business, where he taught for 40 years. He was a visiting professor at the University of Virginia, Northeastern University in Boston, the University of Kentucky, Florida A&M University and Parsons College.
Among his awards are: the Eastern Kentucky University Outstanding Alumnus Award (1969), the University of Illinois Outstanding Teacher Award (1972), Honorary Soul Brother by Florida A&M University (1972), the Outstanding Accounting Educator in the nation by the American Accounting Association (1974), and the Distinguished Commerce Alumnus of the University of Illinois in 1984.
Perry loved teaching and firmly believed in his students' abilities to learn the materials. He was instrumental in encouraging women and minorities to pursue careers in accounting, and his CPA Review Course helped many students pass the CPA exam. While his students regularly achieved top scores on the national CPA exam, including the top two scores in 1968 (out of 16,444 candidates), 1973 (29,668 candidates), and 1985 (67,269 candidates), he was equally happy for all his students, enjoyed hearing from and about them and credited them for his own success.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Ken Perry Scholarship or the Ken Perry Faculty Fellowship, University of Illinois Foundation, Harker Hall, MC-386, 1305 Green Street, Urbana, Illinois, 61801-2962.