Ronald Everette Perry

Ron passed away after a short illness on December 21, 2022. Ron was born in Huntington, West Virginia to Clyde and Amelia Mae (Thomas) Perry. He is survived by his wife of 43 years Marilyn (Galik) Perry, his daughter Leigh Diotalevi and her husband Robert, his son Tod and his wife Sarah, and his grandchildren Mia, Annika, Declan, and his brother Kenneth B. Perry. Ron is predeceased by his brother Thomas G. Perry. A private service will be held at Saul’s on February 20, 2023.

After high school, he moved to Chicago, Illinois where he met his first wife, Myra Lannom. Ron and Myra moved to Hawthorne, California in 1968 where they had their first daughter, Leigh Dawn in 1970. Ron received degrees from DeVry University in 1962, an Associate of Arts  from El Camino College in 1970, and a Bachelor of Arts in Science from California State University Long Beach in 1972.

The couple later moved to Torrance, California where they had their second son, Tod Andrew, in 1977. Ron and Myra divorced and he married his second wife, Marilyn Galik in 1980.

During this time, Ron had a successful career in international aerospace sales where he was able to travel the globe and play host to international clients and show them around the Greater Los Angeles area.

Ron was passionate about his many hobbies and had a wonderful sense of curiosity about the world. He had a lifelong love of music and was a huge fan of bluegrass, blues, country, folk music, jazz, standards, and rock 'n roll. In his early years, he played trombone in the high school band and later became an adept bluegrass finger picker and later became an accomplished jazz guitarist.

Ron and Marilyn shared an encyclopedic knowledge of music and would often challenge each other to rounds of "Name that Tune" while listening to the standards station on a vintage AM radio. Ron was also a student of history and once said that if he hadn't worked in aerospace, he would have loved to be a history professor.

Ron was an avid sports fan. He grew up rooting for the Cincinnati Reds or the “Rincinnati Ceds” as he would often joke and after moving to the L.A. area would often go to Dodger games where he witnessed some historic moments, including the game when Rick Monday saved the American flag from being burned by protestors in the outfield.

Ron loved football as well and rooted for the Oakland/Los Angeles/Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders. He spent many Sundays in the '80s and '90s taking his family to rowdy Raider games at the Los Angeles Coliseum.

In his 40s, Ron developed a passion for golf and would spend every weekend with Marilyn and Tod playing local courses in the west L.A. area, namely Penmar By the Sea where he struck up several friendships with fellow golfers.

Ron and Marilyn enjoyed a wonderful life in the '80s and '90s living in beautiful Playa Del Rey, California in a two-story home perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Ron and Marilyn spent many evenings on the balcony of their home enjoying sunsets and it was a warm place for friends and family. The couple shared their homes with wonderful pets over the years including dogs Dover, Misty, Maddie, Jazzy, and a cantankerous cat named Sushi that scared Ron to death.

Ron was a loving father who encouraged his kids to get an education, work hard, and pursue their passions. He was a natural teacher whether it was giving a lesson on hitting a driver, playing guitar, or his unorthodox method for cooking eggs in the microwave.

He welcomed twin granddaughters from daughter Leigh into this world on October 20, 2003, and a grandson from Tod, Declan, on May 12, 2016.

Ron was unique in that he was a rather quiet, introverted person, but when the mood hit had a quick wit and could be an engaging conversationalist on just about any topic. Marilyn has often joked that "He's the brains and I'm the jock."

Ron retired at the early age of 57 and left Southern California with Marilyn to begin a new life in Bluffton, South Carolina at Sun City. In their new home in the welcoming community, the couple was able to spend more time enjoying playing golf together and making new friends. During this time, he joined several local jazz bands and could be found every morning practicing on his black Benedetto jazz guitar.

Ron would like to be remembered as a man who came up from a small town in West Virginia to find professional success and provide a good living for his family. He was also someone dedicated to his craft whether that meant spending hours practicing his guitar, working on a vintage car, or making Shaker furniture.