Donald R. Perry

Donald R. Perry, 82, of Bloomingdale, passed away peacefully on June 20, 2024 after a short illness. He leaves behind Patricia, his wife of 57 years, his daughter Valerie (Allen) Rendel and son Jassen, granddaughters Gracelynn and Penelope, as well as many loving family and friends who will remember his humor, loyalty, and storytelling abilities. Don was born three months premature in Chicago on May 2, 1942, and subsequently arrived early for everything for the rest of his life. He grew up in Bridgeview with his parents Simeon and Clarice Nadine, older sister Donna and younger brother Jim, with whom he shared a love of trains and movies. He attended Argo Community High School in Summit, where he excelled in Latin, and graduated from Oak Lawn Community High School in 1960. Together with his good friend Rich, he joined the Army that October. Don was stationed in Taiwan and the Aleutian Islands, where he worked in intelligence and had a great story about meeting Chuck Yeager. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1963, he worked as a teletype operator at E.J. Korvette, where he met a cute blonde cashier named Pat. They were married on November 26, 1966. A 53-year resident of Bloomingdale, Don spent 30 years as a merchandise buyer for Sears, and retired from his second career with Bloomingdale School District 13 in May 2008. He spent his later years enjoying time with his granddaughters and his favorite films. On June 19, 2024, he was admitted to hospice care and passed soon afterward, with his close family and friends in attendance, because he always hated waiting around. Visitation will be held from 3:00-8:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 29, 2024. In honor of Don, prayers, flowers, stories, puns, slightly off-color limericks and jokes are welcome and appreciated.