Charles Edward Perry

Charles “Charlie” Edward Perry, Jr. passed away in the morning of May 27th from the cumulative effects of cancer and stroke coupled with a lifelong battle with epilepsy and an unknown degenerative neuromuscular disorder.

Charlie was born in Boston in 1942 to Charles Edward Perry, Sr. and Grace Mildred (Twomey) Perry where he lived until the family relocated to Jersey City. He was a loving brother to his younger sister, Jean Ann (Perry) Zastrow. He graduated from Butler high school in Passaic County New Jersey. He was employed by the Federal Government as an Engineering Technician for the US Army Research and Development Command at Picatinny Arsenal in Dover, New Jersey until his disability retirement in 1997. He moved to Memphis, Tennessee to live closer to his mother and sister and her family.

A lifelong railroad and train enthusiast, Charlie photographed trains all across the country from the northeast to the Rocky Mountains chasing trains with friends until his condition made travel too difficult. The power of the engines and the great lands they crossed inspired his sense of adventure and allowed him to see much of the country in search of specific engines and train lines. He was a dedicated amateur photographer and amassed quite a collection of photos and slides from his travels over the years. Charlie was a keen student of history as well as a great fan of the golden age of Hollywood Cinema and had an encyclopedic knowledge on the films of Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Katharine Hepburn, John Wayne, Rex Harrison and Gene Kelly. He loved to discuss the intricacies of actor’s performances, filming locations, and historical references.

A truly devout man of faith, Charlie was an earnest parishioner of the Roman Catholic Church all his life. First as an altar boy in New Jersey in his youth, to serving as a brother of the Knights of Columbus for chapters in New Jersey and then Tennessee, Charlie’s involvement in the church family was one of his great joys. Charlie was a dedicated Officer in the 3rd Degree of the Knights of Columbus, notably the Timothy J. Coyle Council #9317 of the St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church in Cordova, TN until his death.

For a man so beleaguered by physical illness all his life, his positivity and compassion were unmatched and his genuine kindness shone through his every action. He weathered the struggles of a disabled life with dignity and uncommon cheer that inspired those around him to do better. With his upstanding moral code, strong faith, and gentle disposition, he put others at ease and served as an example to everyone the true nature of compassion, kindness, and devotion. Although never able to have children of his own, he truly loved his niece and nephews as his own and took great joy in being a part of their lives. He loved spending time with his grandnephews and telling them all about trains. Despite a debilitating illness that slowly took away his mobility over the course of his life, he was able to soar in his imagination and succeed in living an independent life for much longer than others without his disposition might have managed.

He is survived by his sister Jean, her husband Kenneth Zastrow, his nephew John Zastrow and his wife Ana and his grandnephews Alexander and Jacob; his niece Erica (Zastrow) Sutch and her husband Jeff, and his grandniece Abigail.

Funeral memorials and burial are postponed until mid July due to Covid-19 travel restrictions to allow his niece and her family to travel to Memphis from California.