Gerald J. Perry, 87, former Rose Valley mayor, dies

Gerald J. Perry, 87, a longtime resident of Rose Valley who served two terms as the borough’s mayor, died Thursday, May 28, of a stroke at Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Va.

Mr. Perry settled in Rose Valley in 1969. He was elected to the borough council as a Republican and later served as council president in the 1990s. He went on to serve two terms as mayor in the 2000s. In 2012, he moved to Virginia to be near family.

His business background and commitment to building consensus helped him lead the council through a number of important changes. Under his tenure as mayor in 2008, for example, an environmental advisory council was established.

He valued public service, said son Steve: “He was never super-partisan; he was more of a problem-solver. He was all about getting things done, not about the background noise.”

Before retiring in 1986, Mr. Perry had a 30-year career at Scott Paper Co., where he held a number of positions as a financial executive. He rose to vice president and comptroller of Scott’s packaged products division.

Born in Kingston, N.Y., he was a graduate of Kingston High School. He graduated from Manhattan College in New York City in 1949.

He served in the Army during the Korean War and was honorably discharged with the rank of master staff sergeant.

He was an active member of St. John Chrysostom Catholic Church in Wallingford, where he was a lector and usher for many years. After moving to Springfield, Va., he joined the Greenspring Catholic Community, an extension of St. Bernadette’s.

In addition to his son, Mr. Perry is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mary Ann; daughters Megan Lindsay and Linda Lorndale; six grandchildren; and a sister.

Services were Tuesday, June 2.

Donations may be made to the National Institute on Aging, Alzheimer’s Research, Budget Officer, Financial Management Branch, Building 31, Room 2C-06, 31 Center Dr., MSC 2292, Bethesda, Md. 20892.