Joseph Phillip Perry, Jr. passed away peacefully on May 9, 2024, surrounded by family in his home in Manomet, MA at the age of 69. He is lovingly remembered by his wife Maria Perry, and their children: Brandon Perry, and his wife Holly; Amanda Decker and her husband Loren; Audrey Battu and her husband Bharat; Holly Pattianakotta and her husband Daniel; Melody Perry; Erin Perry; Lydia Perry and her partner Wayne DeVaughn; and Tiara Perry and her fiance Richard Ralph. He is also survived by his four younger siblings: Janice Weissinger and her husband Glen; John Perry and his wife Denise; James Perry and his wife Nancy; and Jeffrey Perry. He will also be remembered fondly by his many nieces, nephews and grandchildren, along with countless friends and colleagues.
Joe was born in Placentia, Newfoundland to Jean and Joe Perry, Sr. on January 28, 1955. Soon after, the family moved to the South Shore of Massachusetts. Known to some as Joey or “The Bear”, and to most as Joe, he graduated from Norwell High School in 1973, where he was an integral (and later, Hall of Fame) member of their undefeated 1972 football team.
He then attended UMASS Amherst, where he focused his first couple of years making friends and playing his favorite sport - lacrosse, but his later years studying feverishly to make up for it. After graduating in 1977 with a degree in Forestry - a career he wanted to pursue since the age of twelve - he accepted a job with the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) at the Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) camp in Gardner, MA. It was there that he met his wife of 44 years, Maria - he always said it was love at first sight. They married in 1979, and had their first child, and their only son, in 1981.
The young family moved to Myles Standish State Forest in South Carver, MA, where Joe worked as a Park Supervisor for DCR, and in the mid-80s obtained a position as a Service Forester in Bristol County - his dream job! He also enjoyed running several forestry and environmental programs for local schools and sharing his knowledge with children. In the 90s, Joe became the Bureau of Forestry Representative for the Massachusetts Envirothon committee. During this time, he also ran the Forestry Class at Junior Conservation Camp, and stayed involved with his alma mater UMASS, teaching tree identification workshops.
Over the years, the family continued to grow, adding seven(!) daughters between 1982 and 1998. This expansion resulted in “The Perry 10” (Joe regularly used this as a sign-off for family emails). During this time, Joe was involved with Carver Little League and Tee-ball, where he served as a head coach and league commissioner. He also taught Sunday school to children on a regular basis.
In 2004, the family moved to Manomet, MA, where Joe continued to have a positive influence on youth over the next twenty years, through his part-time work at the Manomet Youth Center. Additionally, Joe was a lifeguard supervisor for the Town of Plymouth, primarily working summer weekends at Morton Park.
After working for the DCR for over four decades, he retired in November 2020, and also received the 2020 Howard F. Mason Forester of the Year award. The Citizen Forester featured an article highlighting Joe’s career, praising him “for his tireless work in the forestry community, including [with] countless landowners and consulting foresters... he will be greatly missed, but we know his legacy lives through the next generation and the understanding of trees and forests he planted in our minds... he left a trail of friendly bear hugs in his wake.”
Even with the onset of Lewy body dementia, Joe continued picking people up, both literally and figuratively, with his legendary bear hugs and big, welcoming heart. Once retired, he spent much of his time dancing with his wife at the Plymouth Senior Center, listening to live music on Plymouth’s waterfront with friends and family, and worshiping his Lord and Savior at LifeHouse church, where he was an active member for over twenty years. He loved his church family; Joe delighted in singing with them and he would be the first person to gather everyone around someone to lift them up in prayer. He also enjoyed walks in the woods, going to the beach, eating ice cream, and spending time with his children and grandchildren.
Holidays were always an important and favorite tradition for Joe - anything that brought friends and family together, and always the more the merrier. He rallied the family year after year into an annual Thanksgiving Cribbage tournament (a tribute to his late father), as well as impromptu games of dodgeball at the Rec Center. He especially loved Christmas, and brought joy to all when he assumed the role of Santa for Plymouth’s holiday festivities.
Joe’s love, positivity and selflessness had an impact on so many; though he is dearly missed, he leaves a legacy that will undoubtedly continue to inspire kindness and acts of service for generations to come.
We invite everyone to celebrate Joe’s life on May 18, 2024 at 4pm, at LifeHouse Church, 17 Jericho Road, Middleboro, MA 02346 - all are welcome, and encouraged to bring their best memories of Joe.
His burial will be held privately.
In lieu of flowers or donations, we request that you honor Joe by creating a special memory with your loved ones.