Perry L. Washington

Perry LaFenus Washington

January 11, 1941 ~ October 13, 2024

Perry LaFenus Washington was born on January 11, 1941, in Chester, Pennsylvania. He was the son of the late Dorothy Mann Cain and George Washington and older brother to the late Betty Ann Walker. Perry passed away peacefully, after a brief illness on Sunday, October 13, 2024.

He attended Chester High School where he served as a Representative for the Student Government Association. Perry attended Hampton Institute for a year then transferred to Cheyney State University, where he met and married Jean Brown. He is a member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. After graduating from college, he worked for Scott Paper Company in Detroit, Michigan and Chester, Pennsylvania while raising their daughter Stacy.

In 1971 the family relocated to New York, where Perry earned his MBA from Columbia University Business School. He began his business career at Morgan Stanley & Co., as part of the Corporate Finance division. Prior to retirement, Perry was Chairman and CEO of LaFenus Group, Ltd., a financial consulting firm primarily involved in leveraged buyouts and financial consulting. Perry also served as a Trustee for Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

After his retirement he relocated to Bluffton, South Carolina with his wife Jean. Perry served the Lowcountry community volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, First Tee and the Domestic Abuse “Hotline” for the Bluffton Police Department. He joined the Board of Trustees for the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry in 2011 and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors from 2013 to 2016.

Perry was an avid skier and golfer and combined these with his other love, travel. He journeyed with family and friends visiting places such as Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe and Asia. Some of his favorite trips were his annual Los Cabos golf vacation with nephew Buddy (Melvin Walker, Jr.) who preceded him in death, and cruises to Japan, Alaska and the Mediterranean. Later in life he traveled often to Costa Rica, visiting his dear friend Guisella Barboza and her family.

Perry Washington will be joyously remembered by his daughter Stacy Washington of Decatur, GA; niece Elizabeth Perry-Saunders of Newark, DE; nephews Nathaniel Goldman, Jr. and Christian Goldman of Philadelphia, PA; sister-in-law Vernet Spence Brown and a host of loving family and cherished friends.

To honor my father's wishes, there will be no funeral service. I invite you to celebrate Perry’s memory by making a donation to the N. Jean and Perry L. Washington Memorial Fund.

The endowment fund will award scholarships to continue their mission of support and encouragement for students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who want to pursue graduate study.

To donate visit: https://lowcountry.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=1401