Henry N. Perez

It is with great sadness that the family of Henry Perez announce his passing on Wednesday, March 23, 2023, at the age of 95. Henry died due to age and declining health. He died at home with the support of hospice, surrounded by family and friends. He passed comfortably and is now in God’s arms.

Henry will be lovingly remembered by his wife Lupe of 75 years; his children, Kathy (Paul) Nelepovitz, Barbara (JR) Avila, Cindy (Steve) Merrifield, Diane (Scott) Pennington, nine grandchildren, Dominick, Gina, Toby, Michael, Cory, Cruz, Lexie, Sophie, Jillian, 14 great-grandchildren and many other family and friends.

Henry was preceded in death by his parents, Serviano Perez and Angelita Navarro, three sisters and three brothers. He was born in Sutter Creek, CA, and lived in Stockton, CA from 1942 until 1971. Henry was a motorcycle policeman and community relations officer with the Stockton Police Department for 20 years. During World War II, he served in the U.S. Navy from 1944 -1946. He was a seaman on the historic USS Saratoga. Following his career as a policeman he moved to Azusa to build his own business, Cheshire & Perez, a law enforcement distributorship for Smith & Wesson.

In his early years, Henry was an avid pistol marksman, golfer, ping pong player, and motorcycle enthusiast (Baja dunes). He was the first pistol marksman to be inducted into the Stockton Athletic Hall of Fame. He won the California State Pistol shooting championship (1962) and was runner-up in (1961 and 1963). Henry was captain of the Stockton Police Pistol Shooting Team (1959 -1971), which won the California State Pistol Shooting Championship in (1961, 1964 and 1966) and was enshrined into the Stockton Police Hall of Fame. Henry was the founder and first president of the California Combat Police Association, one of the largest police shooting associations in the world. Before Henry became a champion pistol marksman, he was the Stockton table tennis champion (1950) and Naval Annex titlist (1947 - 1951). In addition to his sportsmanship, he was a collector of coins and knives, an avid reader and enjoyed sitting in his sunny yard.

Henry loved to travel with his trailers and RV’s and shared his passion for cooking outdoors. He loved to cook but especially loved to eat. He would say, “How about a big juicy steak”? Most importantly, Henry was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend to many. He will be remembered for his love, kindness, gentle ways and his ability to see beauty in all living things.

The Perez family extends their gratitude to Henry’s dear friends Greg and Barbara, Al and Alice, Visiting Angels of Glendora, Brenda, and Lakeview Hospice. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Honor Flight Network, https://www.honorflight.org/planned-giving/ or to an organization of your choice.

A memorial service will be held Friday, April 28, 2023, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM at Oakdale Memorial Park, 1401 S Grand Ave, Glendora, CA 91740. A burial to follow will occur at Garden of Chapel Lawn. Reception to follow.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.OakdaleMortuaryGlendora.com for the Perez family.