Johnny Perez

Commander Johnny Perez, U.S. Navy, (Ret), 92 passed away on March 21, 2021. He was an only child born to Juan and Cecilia Perez in 1928. He grew up in the Tampa Bay area, and upon reaching the age of eighteen in 1946, enlisted in the U.S. Navy as a Seaman Apprentice.

In 1952, he met and married Janine, daughter of a French Army Cavalry Officer, while assigned to the U.S. Naval Air Facility in what was then French Morocco. With the enthusiasm of youth, and his love of Navy life, he applied himself and by 1956, he had worked his way up the enlisted ranks to Chief Petty Officer. Shortly thereafter, he was commissioned in the rank of Ensign, and served as a Commissioned Naval Officer, for the following twenty years, retiring with the rank of Commander in 1976.

In addition to pursuing his love of the Navy, he was also a loving husband and father. He received the Scouter's Key award, bestowed by the national Boy Scouts of America organization, for his effort in serving as a Scout Leader for dependents of Navy families whenever possible. He also took every opportunity to expose his children to sights and events that would broaden their horizon. They still remember such things as, traveling thru Europe, and Japan, feeding the Barbary Apes in the caves of the Rock of Gibraltar, exploring the Roman ruins of Volubilis in Africa, walking through Pompeii and Herculaneum, camping in the Pyrenees, the Atlas Mtns., the seven hills of Rome, witnessing the arrival of camels on the Sahara desert at TanTan, the Northern terminus of the historic camel caravan from Timbuctoo, being invited to dinner in a Bedouin tent, and eating politely out of a common bowl without the benefit of utensils, camping on the rim of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii when it erupted in the middle of the night, canoeing and camping on Indian mounds in the backwaters of the Florida Everglades thru the winter months, and on and on.

During his 30 years of Naval service, Cmdr. Perez was awarded the following citations: World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal (one star), Vietnam Service (three stars), Vietnam Campaign, Republic of Vietnam Armed Forces Meritorious Unit Citation (Gallantry Cross Medal with Palm), Meritorious Unit Citation (one star), NAW Commendation Medal (one star).

He is survived by his loving wife of 68 years, Janine; his sons, John Charles (Kathleen) and Michael Jay and grandchildren, Sean Matthew Perez and Katie Marie Perez.

Cmdr. Perez will be laid to rest at the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, FL on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 9:30 am. Please arrive by 9:15 am and line up in Lane 3.