Richard Russell Perry

1926 - 2019

Richard Russell Perry

Richard Russell Perry died July 20, 2019. He was born in Toledo, February 21, 1926 to Russell and Bertha Holloway Perry. He grew up in East Toledo, graduating from Waite High School in 1943. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army, and was assigned to the 63rd Infantry Division, G Company, 255th Infantry. He was promoted to Sergeant, earning a Purple Heart, Bronze Star, a second Bronze Star with V for Valor, the Soldiers Medal, and the French Legion of Honor Medal (awarded in 2016).

He and Margaret Magdalene Papp were married in June 1947; widowed in 1988, he married Barbara Rondelli van der Merwe in June, 2000. Enrolling at the University of Toledo in 1946, he earned a B.Ed., an M.A., and an Ed.D. in Higher Education. He served at UT from 1949-2006 as an administrator and faculty member. He was a Professor, and Associate Vice-President for Academic Affairs, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses, while serving under 13 different Presidents. He directed 33 Doctoral Dissertations, with several students rising to University Presidencies, as well as other major collegiate administrative positions. He served as President of the Ohio Association of College Admissions Counselors; President of the Midwest Region of the College Entrance Examination Board, and President of the National Association of Institutional Research.

He served on the Board of Trustees for Defiance College, Western New England University, and Davis College. His tenure as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Sylvania Public Library and Toledo-Lucas County Public Library lasted more than 25 years. He was President of the SPL Board during 1965-'66, and was twice President of the T-LCPL Board in 1975-'76, and 1987-'88.

His commissioned painting by Robert Garcia honoring Hungarians who fled to the U.S. in 1956 is displayed in the Birmingham Branch of the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library. His acquired print of the Norman Rockwell painting, "Rockwell Visits a Country School", is displayed in the Locke Branch.

The College Entrance Examination Board invited him to serve on the Summer Institute Instructional Staff at Harvard, Duke, University of Chicago, John Carroll, Lewis and Clark, and St. John's University, Minnesota. He published 31 major articles, and "Institutional Research: Vital Third Force in Higher Education", was included in the 50th Anniversary Edition of the Journal of Higher Education in 1979, and named one of the best articles published in the Journal.

Dedicated to assisting college students, he endowed numerous scholarships and special funds at the University of Toledo, as well as Pittsburg State University, Western New England College, and Defiance College.

Dick Perry's mission in life was to always help others, in any and every way possible, and, as quickly as possible. There was never any hesitation in doing so, and every success was for him a great sense of accomplishment.

He is survived by his loving wife Barbara, two daughters, Kathryn Perry Funk, and Kristen Diane Perry, stepdaughter Brenda van der Merwe (Chris Elzinga), two grandchildren, Adam Sautter, and Adrienne Sautter, 4 great grandchildren, Jayden, Alessandra, Gianna, and Brynn, and step grandchild, Charlotte.

Visitation will be from 2-8 p.m., Wednesday, July 24, 2019 in the Walker Funeral Home, 5155 Sylvania Ave. (west of Corey Rd.), Toledo. Graveside services and military honors will be held at 9:30 a.m., Thursday, July 25, 2019 at Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, 14180 Bailey Rd., Grand Rapids, OH 43522. A memorial service will be held at 11: 30 a.m., Thursday at Sylvania United Church of Christ, 7240 Erie Street, Sylvania, OH 43560.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the National Federation of the Blind, the VFW, or the Toledo Lucas County Public Library.

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