Earl Franklin Perry's Obituary
Earl was born the oldest of identical twin boys on July 2, 1927, in Dallas, Texas, to Marie (Davis) and Acie Perry. He grew up and attended school in Dallas and graduated high school from Crozier Tech in 1943. After graduating from high school, Earl worked with his mother and twin brother, Everett, at Haggar Slacks. In 1944, he joined the Coast Guard and completed basic training in New Jersey before shipping out on the APA USS Dickman headed for the Pacific to Okinawa. His ship was part of the invasion at Okinawa and Guadalcanal. After those invasions, they were dispatched to Saipan to pick up POW’s from the Death March and return them to Hawaii. When the war was over, Earl was moved to a DE USS Crow, where he remained until he was discharged on May 3, 1946. After he was discharged, Earl returned to Dallas to pursue other employment opportunities. Shortly thereafter, he landed a job at Western Electric and eventually became the Warehouse Superintendent and retired after thirty five years of service. On June 18, 1949, Earl married Dahlia June Sanders from Ladonia, Texas. They spent the next 56 years together until June’s death on February 3, 2006. Early in their marriage, they began traveling weekends towing their ski boat to numerous lakes in the Midwest for water skiing and camping. Such outings always included other families many of whom worked with Earl and June. Earl was himself an excellent water skier. He and a war buddy were very proud to claim the status of being the first skiers on White Rock Lake when it first opened up. After ten years of traveling, the family purchased property at Cedar Creek Lake where they ultimately retired. In addition to his love for water skiing, Earl was a race car driver in the Central Texas area. He retired at a young age but always maintained a love for racing and instilled this desire in his son. Little did he know, as a result, he would spend the next thirty years involved in his son’s racing career. Most people that knew Earl would agree he was a people person. However, that did not apply on Sunday afternoons during a televised race or Dallas Cowboys football game. It was well known by family members those hours were off limits for any distractions. Earl also had a reputation for maintaining an immaculate yard and consuming large quantities of Brach’s candy peppermints. In addition to his other interests, Earl was an integral part of the Western Electric Pioneers organization. He was also a lifetime member of the VFW. Earl went to be with the Lord on January 1, 2016. In addition to his wife, Earl was preceded in death by his parents and his twin brother, Everett. He is survived by his son, Steve, and wife, Aline, of Southlake, Texas along with beloved nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Family will receive friends on Monday, January 4, 2016 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM at Restland Funeral Home. Service will be held Tuesday, January 5, 2016 at 11:00 AM in The Memorial Chapel at Restland Funeral Home. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75243. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Roever Foundation, Operation Warrior Reconnect, PO Box 136130, Fort Worth, TX 76136.
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