Donald Paul Perry, 63, of Nederland, TX, passed away on Wednesday, November 23, in Destin, FL, a place where he had decades of happy memories with his family.
Donald was born on September 4, 1959, in Pierre Part, Louisiana. Upon graduating from Vinton High School, he played baseball at McNeese State University before entering the U.S. Army, where he served his country for 3 years. It was while serving the country he loved so much that he met the true love of his life, Cheryl Esterline, a fellow Army soldier who he married on June 12, 1985.
Family was Donald’s greatest priority; he was a devoted family man who considered his family members his greatest blessing. In addition to being the beloved husband of Cheryl, he was the adored father of Joshua (Sarah), Jessica (Bryan), and Jenna (Daniel), as well as the cherished grandfather of Brett, Baylee, Kairi, Gunner, Donald, and Oliver. Donald is survived by his mother Judith (née Landry), sisters Penelope (Keith) and Suzanne (Bryan), and brother Timothy. Donald is preceded in death by his father Donald Ray Perry.
To his grandchildren, Donald was larger than life -- he was their Poppy. When he walked into the room nothing and no one else mattered. There was nothing Donald loved more than his family, but his Harley was a close second. On any day, rain or shine, you could find him riding his Harley around the neighborhood. In winter, he loved to visit Colorado. And at any time of any day, he loved to hum. You always knew Donnie Paul was around in one of two ways: You could hear him humming, and you could feel the energy as he made friends with everyone. For Donald Perry, every stranger became a friend, and every friend he made became family. He would do anything for anyone. And as a former baseball player and dedicated fan, the family is thrilled that he was able to see one final Houston Astros World Series win in 2022.
The service will be held at Melancon's Funeral Home in Nederland, Texas, on Saturday, December 3 at 4:00 pm with visitation/viewing available from 2:00 pm until 4:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you donate to Southeast Texas Veteran’s Service Group at P.O. Box 12352, Beaumont, TX 77726. The family requests that in Honor of "Donald Paul Perry" and in his Memory, please dress casually for the funeral as he always did because he was laid back, enjoyed life and loved people so much. Overalls are welcomed too!!