Delbert Leon Perry

Longtime resident Delbert Leon Perry passed away Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008, at SunBridge Care and Rehabilitation Center in Moses Lake. He had been fighting heart and lung problems since January. He was born in Clarence, Miss., May 1, 1912. He was the third of eight children born to Bennie and Minnie Perry. When he was old enough to go to school, the family had moved to Bonner’s Ferry where Delbert attended school through eighth grade. He could still repeat poems he learned at school last month at 96 years old. He served in the Army during World War II and was sent to Germany where he worked in the motor pool repairing and driving all kinds of vehicles. He liked to tell the story of the extra weekend passes he got because the captain he drove for liked him so much. In 1946, Del married Lillian K. West in Jefferson City, Mo. and the couple set up house in Bonner’s Ferry, Idaho where son Ray was born. In 1952, the family moved to the U.S. Naval Base on Adak, Alaska where Del worked as a shop planner and estimator. His job entailed estimating how long a repair should take, then scheduling the work. The family returned to Bonner’s Ferry in 1954 where he worked as a mechanic at the Packard dealership. Later, he bought a Husky service station and as he put it, “That was in the days when it was really a service station, not just a gas station.” They pumped the gas, cleaned the windows, checked the oil and did all kinds of small repair work. When they came to Moses Lake in 1968, Del got a job at Basic American Foods but, before retiring, he lost three of his fingers in a piece of machinery. Even missing those three fingers, he was able to play the piano. He entertained friends and family with his enthusiastic renditions of the old tunes like, “Five Foot Two” and, “Roll Out The Barrel.” He could also tie a mean fly and take it out fishing. And if he could take his grandson out fishing with him it was even better. In 1979, Del found his way into Alcoholics Anonymous and spent the rest of his life clean and sober. He was club manager off and on between 1984 and 2006 and came to love the people at the club just like family. He loved playing pool and poker at the club and was always up for the great barbecues and other gatherings. He also loved the little children around the club and took lots of pictures of them. When he was in his 80s he got himself a computer and digital camera and learned how to create fun photos and personalized birthday and holiday cards using those pictures. He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers Alfred, Richard, Sanford and Gilbert. He is survived by his brothers, Ben and Robert, and his only sister Ollie, his son Ray, former daughter-in-law Gail Johnson, four grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Aug. 26 at 1 p.m. at New Beginnings Christian Center 318 W. Northshore Dr. Moses Lake, WA 98837. Arrangements are in care of Kayser’s Chapel & Crematory, Moses Lake. You may sign the guest book or leave a note for the family at www.kayserschapel.com.