Preston H. Pete Perry

Perry, Preston H. “Pete”, 85, retired elementary school principal, died Friday, August 7, 2009. Rosary, 7 P.M., Sunday, August 9; Funeral Mass, 10 A.M., Monday, August 10, both at St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. Pete was born March 20, 1924 in Minneapolis, KS to John and Josephine (Gollon) Perry. He graduated from Minneapolis High School in 1942. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1943 as an aviation cadet, and reached the grade of Captain as a P-47 pilot while serving in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Pete played football at Wichita University and there earned his BA in education in 1949. In 1966 he earned a MA in school administration at Wichita State University. Pete coached at Andale High School, 1949-52, and at Ellis High School, 1952-54. He returned to teaching at Andale Grade School in 1962 and served as the principal from 1966-69. He was principal at College Hill Elementary, 1969-79 and at Cleaveland Elementary, 1979-85, both in Wichita. He also worked for Snowden-Mize Sporting Goods, Union Central Life Insurance, Cimarron Insurance, and refereed high school and college football and basketball. He married Ethel Winter on June 3, 1952, in Andale. They lived in Ellis and Arkansas City before moving to Wichita in 1959. She survives. Other survivors include: children and their families, Janet Murphy of Las Vegas, NV, Lisa Perry and Jim Helmick (Jenna) of Wichita, Mark and Carol Thoma-Perry (Beth, Carly, Adam) of Kansas City, MO, Peggy and Tom Waggoner (Kyle, Margaret) of Overland Park, KS, Kirk Perry of Kansas City, MO, Julie and Robert Bachman (Annie, Alec) of Wichita, Kay and Darin Driggers (Britney Connor Penna) of Grand Forks, ND, Erin and James ODonnell (Garrett, Audrey, Gretchen) of Wichita; brother, Joe Perry of Minneapolis, KS; sisters, Treva Miller of Albuquerque, NM and Dorothy Seitz of Anchorage, AK. Memorials to St. Jude Catholic Church Building Fund, 3130 Amidon, Wichita 67204 and Harry Hynes Hospice, 313 S. Market, Wichita 67202. Downing Lahey Mortuary West. Rosary, 7:00 P.M., Sunday, August 9, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church