Mr. James “Herbert” Perry, Jr., 78, passed away peacefully at Hospice of
Laurens County on Saturday, December 31, 2022, after a hard-fought
battle of Dementia brought on by Alzheimer's disease. He was born on
October 12, 1944, to the late Mr. James Herbert Perry, Sr., and the late
Mr. Mossie Sligh Perry.
Mr. Perry attended the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses. Following his gradua-
tion from Gallman High School in Newberry, SC he worked at Winn-Dixie for the next 35+ years of his life working his way up to management. In 2005, all the stores in the Carolinas were closed, forcing him into an early retirement. He loved deer hunting, fishing, landscaping, photography and working in one of his many vegetable gardens.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Jeanette Victoria Perry,
affectionately known as “Vicky”. Unfortunately, it was recently learned
that his cousin Willie “Pep” Gary was fatally wounded and passed away
only hours after Herbert due to a vehicle accident.
Herbert is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 57 years, Vernetta
Cook Perry; three children, Veda Perry (Russell), Kashunda Perry (Glenn),
and James H. Perry, III (Portia); five grandchildren, Asia (Ridge), Jada,
Genesis, Miracle, and Mercy; one great-grandchild, Aven; a devoted
brother-in-law, Donald Cook; two devoted sisters-in-law, Valerie Gaskins
(Herman), and Wonzetta Gallman (Rickey). He considered the four of
them his adopted children and loved them dearly. They never failed to
help when asked, taking him to doctors appointments out of town,
treating him to special meals he loved, such as Wonzetta’s famous home
cooked Tacos. He is also survived by three devoted cousins, Narvis Boyd
and Linda Long of Newberry and Lisa Smith of Arlington, VA.
He has a multitude of other relatives in various states that he absolutely
loved catching up with during the yearly Wilson, Lake, Herbert family
reunions, of which he served for many years as President of the Newberry
Chapter. Family was very important to him and something he cherished.
He was a special man that lived a special life. He will be missed by many.
A Memorial Service for Mr. James “Herbert” Perry Jr., will be conducted on Thursday, January 5, 2023 at 1:00 pm in the chapel of Wilson Funeral Home, 64 Boundary St, Newberry, SC 29108.
A mask or face covering will be required to enter the funeral home.
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