Obituaries

Funeral services for Rev. Gerald D. Perry (Retired) 78 who passed away on Monday January 30 2012 at his home in Gordonville will be held at 1:00 p.m. Thursday February 2nd at Dannel Funeral Home Chapel. Visitation will be one hour prior to services at 12:00 p.m. at Dannel Funeral Home. Rev. Kelly Gray of the Apostolic Pentecostal Church in Whitesboro will officiate the service. Interment will follow at West Hill Cemetery in Sherman TX. Pallbearers will be Leonard Harris Leonard Hays Gary Richards James Bond Jacob Forrest James Boatman. Gerald Perry was born April 2 1933 in Winthrop Massachusetts to Harry C. & Myrtle A. (McKay) Perry. He graduated from Watertown High School and attended North Eastern University in Boston majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Upon leaving college in 1952 Gerald joined the U.S. Air Force and was stationed at Perrin Air Force Base in Denison prior to serving in the Korean War. While stationed at Perrin Gerald visited the First Pentecostal Church in Sherman where he met Mae Dee Edwards Miller and her two daughters Glenda Nell and Dianna Karol. Gerald and Mae Dee married on April 30 1954. Mae Dee preceded him in death on June 26 2009. Gerald was employed by Chance Vought Johns-Manville Texas Instruments Apple Computers and Mostek International. Gerald was ordained as a minister with the United Pentecostal International in 1969. He moved from Sherman to pastor the First Pentecostal Church in Whitesboro before moving to The Colony in 1975 to pastor the Apostolic Lighthouse. He retired in 2008. Through the years Gerald served the UPC organization in the capacity of District Secretary and Youth Secretary. Upon retiring Gerald and Mae moved to Gordonville to be closer to their children Dianna and Joe McNew also enabling them to attend the church he had built now named the Apostolic Pentecostal Church. Gerald worked and volunteered until December in the Experience Works and Foster Grandparent programs assigned to Whitesboro Elementary Southmayd Elementary School and Girls Inc. of Sherman. On June 5 2010 Gerald married Mary M. Cook of Gainesville. Gerald often explained how especially blessed he was to have had ""two great loves of his life. Gerald and Mary lived a full and active life until he was recently diagnosed with Mesothelioma. Gerald was also preceded in death by his parents wife Mae Dee and step-daughter the late Christina Parsons. He is survived by his wife Mary, sister Amy Lake of Deering New Hampshire, children Glenda Nell Womack of The Colony and Dianna Karol and Joseph McNew Jr. of Gordonville, granddaughters Tammy McNew-Blanton of Sherman Kym Glass of Dallas and Misty Williams of Lewisville, great granddaughters Hayden Hames of Houston Hannah Moyer-Womack of Plano Meredith Anne Glass of Dallas and Bethany Grace Williams of The Colony, and one great-gandson Drew Williams of Dallas, nephews Scott and Frank Lake of Deering, step-children Sharla and husband Harmon Hughes of Gainesville, Ron and wife Daloris Cook of Woodbine, step-grandchildren Ciarra Rhiannon and Bethany Parsons Tori and Rickey Unger and Paige and Tanner Cook Laressa Trey and Chelesa Waggoner.