Joseph Ray Perry

April 23, 1925 - April 27, 2017

Joseph Ray Perry of Haskell, father of energy secretary and former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, died Thursday. He was 92.

“Here’s to a life well lived, Dad. Thank you for the blessings you gave us, and we will miss you every day,” Rick Perry said in a tweet Friday.

“We’re going to miss him,” Haskell Mayor John Gannaway said. “He was a true gentleman. You meet a lot of men in West Texas, but it’s not often you meet a true gentleman like Mr. Perry was.”  Gannaway and Rick Perry both attended Texas A&M University, where Rick Perry was a yell leader. Gannaway said Ray Perry and his wife Amelia would stay with the Gannaways for every home football game for years and they were always happy to host them. The families became fast friends, and when the Gannaways retired to Haskell in 2008 they continued to visit the Perrys up until just a few weeks ago, he said.  “They were good folks,” Gannaway said.

Gov. Greg Abbott released a statement Friday, saying, “Cecilia and I extend our deepest condolences to Secretary Perry and his family during this difficult time. Ray Perry was a true Texan in every sense of the word, and he embodied the values of faith, family and freedom that we in the Lone Star State hold dear. We ask that all Texans join us in offering their prayers for the Secretary’s family as they as mourn the loss of a great man.”

Ray Perry was born in the Paint Creek community, south of Haskell, on April 23, 1925. After graduating from the Paint Creek school in 1943, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps. He was a tail gunner on a B-17 bomber, flying 35 missions over Nazi Germany.

He married Amelia June Holt, whom he had met on a blind date, in June 1948. They have two children — Milla Perry Jones and Rick Perry.

Ray Perry entered politics before his son. In addition to farming and raising livestock, the elder Perry was elected Haskell County Precinct 3 commissioner in 1968, a position he held for 28 years. He also served on the Paint Creek school board for 10 years.

He served for six years on the West Texas Council of Governments, two of which were as president, and helped organize the Paint Creek Water Supply Corp.

News of Ray Perry’s passing was announced on the Texas House floor Friday by state Rep. Drew Springer, R-Muenster, who represents Haskell County. A resolution honoring him is expected later in the Legislative session.