James M. Perry

Jim Perry (86) a long time resident of Cocoa Beach passed away peacefully on October 9th. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Marty. Jim was preceded in death by his Mother, Esther; Father, Hollis; younger brother, Bob; and granddaughter, Eloyce. Born in Bridgeport, West Virginia and lived in Syracuse, New York as a young man. At the age of 17, Jim entered the Army Air Corp where he was served with the 727th Bomb Squadron as a Radio Operator in World War II. He was awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 5 Bronze Stars. He graduated from Ashland College in Ohio with a Bachelor's degree in 1949. Jim started his Engineering career with Goodyear Aircraft in Ohio, as a member of the Goodyear Blimp Project team. He moved his family to Cocoa Beach 1959. He enjoyed a long career with Lockheed working on the Polaris, Poseidon and Trident programs retiring in 1979. He then began working for Boeing on the IUS program, retiring in 1992. Over the years, Jim was very active in the community and local politics. For many years, Jim served on the Brevard County Planning and Zoning Board; active in the Republican Party where he campaigned for numerous local, state and national candidates. Additionally, Jim and Marty enjoyed Square Dancing. In addition to his wife, Jim is survived by five children: Carol (Jim) Simpson - Ormond Beach; Mark (Ann) Perry - Dunseith, ND; Betsy (Chuck) Blair - Port St. John; Jon (Diana) Perry - Liverpool, NY; and Bobbi (Bill) Gnan - Oviedo; and his brother John K. (Ruth) Perry - Clarksville, TN; eleven grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, and Sunny his beloved cat and companion. Jim was truly a kind, loving, wonderful, devoted man that lived for the happiness of all who knew him. A Celebration of his Life will be held on Tuesday, October 19th at the First United Methodist Church at Eschtruth Hall in Cocoa Beach from 6:00-8:00 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Jim's honor to: Boy Scout Troop 617, University Carillon United Methodist Church in Oviedo, or Cub Scout Pack 497, First United Methodist of Port St. John.