James R. Perry, 73, born October 6, 1941, in Burlington, Vermont, passed peacefully at his home in Duxbury on Thursday, July 30, 2015.
Jim was the son of Maurice and Eleanor (Smith) Perry and spent his youth hunting, fishing and trapping through the hills and fields of Duxbury. Jim had many great adventures with his dear sister, Carol, his cousins and his friends. Jim married the former Myra Kennedy on December 31, 1969, in Waterbury.
Jim attended schools in Virginia and Germany when the military called his father into service. Jim himself served in the United States Army from 1964 to 1966.
Jim was an avid outdoorsman. He loved coon and bear hunting with his dogs; fly fishing and trapping the elusive fisher cat. He built his own log home with the help of his family and most especially his wife, Myra.
Jim built a camp in Moretown where the Moose Pond Shooting Club met regularly to compete. Their Sunday morning skeet shoots were epic. He considered camp to be one of his favorite places. Jim and Myra made yearly trips to the North Woods of Maine; traveling along the Golden Road looking for moose sheds and fly-fishing along the way. They attended many Rendezvous’ around New England, coon dog trials and the annual Vermont Trappers Association Fur Auctions.
Jim shared his love of the outdoors with his daughter, Shawnee. They canoed many rivers, spent countless hours in the woods hunting and tracking and enjoyed each other’s company tremendously.
Jim worked for AG Anderson, for FE Hart and for Benedini Artesian Well Drilling before striking out on his own as a firewood dealer. Together with Ralph Ainsworth, Jim delivered wood throughout The Valley for several years.
Jim is survived by his wife of 46 years, Myra Perry, of Duxbury; his son Scott Perry and his daughter, Shawnee Perry, all of Duxbury; his sister Carol Perry of Waterbury; and his grandchildren, Megan Perry, a student at St. Michael’s College, and Sam Perry, a senior at Harwood Union. He also leaves behind many lifelong friends and extended family.
Funeral services will be held from Jim and Myra’s home, 1512 Stevens Brook Road, Duxbury, on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at 11 a.m. Interment will follow in Phillips Cemetery in Duxbury. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts would be appreciated to Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, 600 Granger Road, Barre, VT 05641, (www.cvhhh.org). Assisting the family is Perkins-Parker Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Waterbury. To send online condolences please visit www.perkinsparker.com and the funeral home Facebook page.
