David Perry

1946 - 2026

David Perry

10/25/46 - 03/12/26

David R. Perry, 79, passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on March 12, 2026, while peacefully asleep at home in Marietta, GA.

David was born October 25, 1946, in Columbus, Ohio, to Doyt and Loretta Perry. When his father, who was an assistant football coach at Ohio State University under head coach Woody Hayes, accepted the head coaching position at Bowling Green State University in 1955, David moved with his family to Bowling Green, Ohio.

In 1965 David graduated from Bowling Green High School where he made many lifelong friends. He went on to study at Miami of Ohio University. When an injury ended his football playing aspirations at Miami, David transferred to Bowling Green University. At B.G. David joined Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After graduating in 1970, he worked as a fundraiser for the Boy Scouts of America in Toledo.

As David would often tell it, when the Scouts offered him a position in Atlanta on a cold winter day in Toledo, all it took was a glance outside his office window to a snow-covered parking lot to convince him. He booked a seat on the first flight leaving for Atlanta the very next day.

Once in Atlanta David turned his attention to law and real estate. In 1979 he earned his law degree and passed the Georgia bar a year later. The booming Atlanta real estate market of the 1980s presented David with many opportunities to demonstrate his abilities as both a clever legal strategist and a skilled negotiator. None more impactful than his role working with Jack Nicklaus in assembling several wooded parcels along the Chattahoochee River in Johns Creek, to develop what would become the Country Club of the South and its surrounding gated community.

Along life's journey David made and maintained friendships in his own special way. By always making the extra effort to stay in touch, and by outwardly showing his love, his concern, and his unwavering support, he cultivated those friendships into something much deeper. David was gifted at building many lifelong relationships by always making clients feel like neighbors, neighbors feel like friends, and friends feel like family.

David was devoted to his life partner, Debbie McKinley. He cherished their many shared interests as well as their travels to Nantucket, Iceland, Europe and beyond.

David was preceded in death by his parents; his sister, Judy McClain Mauerman; and brother, Doyt "DL" Perry.

He is survived by Debbie McKinley; his cousin, Jay Richard (Karen) Jackson, of Kansas City; brother-in-law, William Mauerman; nieces, Mindy (Shaun) Sabol, Marcy (Ty) Mahone; and nephew, Tom (Becky) McClain--all of the Madison, Wisconsin, area; niece, Maria V. Perry, from Columbus, Ohio; also, brother-in-law, William (Celeste) McKinley.

A memorial service will be announced at a future date. Donations may be made to the Doyt and Loretta Perry Scholarship Fund at Bowling Green State University.

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