My dad and Mr. Jerry were close friends and coached together and remained close all their lives.  I was fortunate to meet him when I was all the age of 5 at Perry Hall.  He always spoke so kindly to me, kidded me as much as possible in such a good nature.  
Fond memories standout to share - the first involved refereeing.  When a penalty flag was thrown in a football game at Perry Hall Rec, Mr. Jerry would call for the captain and explain to them what they were going to do - "you can take the play or you can take the penalty " - pause - "your father wants you to take the play, what do you think"  he would say with a big smile and a pat on the shoulder pads.  He made you feel you knew what you were doing so you could have fun and enjoy the game.
The next one was more personal and so fondly felt - my first name was Steven and everyone called me Steve - Mr. Jerry for all my life called me "Stefan" pronounced just that way.  It was a wonderful connection that said something special.  
What a wonderful person and great memories, walking into the Rec Office and seeing him there, sitting on the curb waiting for him and my dad to stop talking outside the office as it grew dark and all the other cars left the parking lot,  Arriving home to here my mom say "You and Jerry finally find your way home again" with much love.
Thank you Michael, Tom and Jerry for sharing your dad and mom's life with so many of us.  I will always remember those wonderful times growing up at Perry Hall Rec.  

Gerald Soukup is the greatest man I have ever known. I have never seen someone impact so many people, even if he didn't realize he was doing so at the time. Gerry lived for all of us, and I know for a fact I would not be the person I am without him. We cannot measure the contributions of Pat and Gerry Soukup, we can only honor them in the way we live our lives. God Bless You Mr. Gerry. You are reunited with the love of your life, and I know we will all meet again someday. Thank you to the Soukup family for letting us have Mr. Gerry in our lives. He made each and every one of us feel loved, and I will miss him forever.

The contributions that Jerry made to the Perry Hall  community are too numerous  to mention.  He allowed me to start a field hockey program when my oldest daughter was in seventh grade.  She is now twenty-six.  I ran the program for six years and it is still going strong under different leadership. This program has allowed hundred of girls in the Perry Hall area to play field hockey.  Previously many played for other rec programs. 

When Baltimore County purchased the old Perring Athletic Club, I  was allowed to start an indoor tennis program and an indoor field hockey program. Both programs are still going strong. I am still chairing the tennis program.  It was the County's intention to convert the tennis courts to basketball, but because our program and many of the senior programs were going strong, that plan was abandoned.  I'm sure I am not alone in noting Jerry's contributions, but what I'll miss most about him is his sense of humor.  Our Rec meetings will seem empty without him.

Steve Thorpe
Chairman Perry Hall Youth Indoor Tennis Program. 


 It was thanks to the efforts of those who never left, and some of our local politicians, who recognized that Perry Hall was, indeed, unique.

	On the home front, Pat Soukup was now raising three boys. We had the good fortune of spending many summers at the Perry Hall Swim Club, another organization created and sustained by the people in the community. The original members paid $300.00 to buy a share of what was then an idea of a community pool. As they boys grew and left home, Mom upped her involvement in the recreation council by working in the concession stand for football and baseball while Dad umpired baseball or refereed football. Thankfully, Dad never coached any of his sons in anything.  Undoubtedly, one of the highlights for Dad and Mom outside the recreation council was the opportunity to travel the east coast to watch my brother, Tom, play football for the University of Pennsylvania. Mom & Dad were a great team and Mom never resented sharing her Husband with the community. They both embraced the idea of giving back made easier by their love of the kids in the programs and the other volunteers with whom they worked with and developed friendships.

	As the years passed, so did Dad’s cadre of volunteers who he could call upon to umpire or referee what had become a large number of teams. He actually had them all on speed dial. Now they all have to be paid. Dad, to his last day, lamented having to pay $1,000.00 of recreation funds per weekend for umpires or referees. Dad would, therefore, want me to thank his fellow contributors, many of whom are long gone. He knew well that none of this would have been possible without the volunteers and their hard work and dedication, too many to mention by name.  All it took to get started was two guys who loved football and hated fishing.

	In 1956, four years married, with a three year old son, Pat and Jerry Soukup drove to a place called “Perry Hall” to look at houses. The Soth family had sold their farm, and Dick Schaffer was building houses north of Joppa Road. Fred Levinsky, a longtime friend, had purchased a house at the corner of Soth and Belair Road. Now employed as an electrical engineer at Martin Marietta, Perry Hall seemed like a good choice.  $13,500.00 would buy a nice brick home.  Not long thereafter, other friends from Curtis Bay joined them.  

	Soon Dad realized that his experiences in Curtis Bay would not be easily duplicated in Perry Hall. He had coached football in Curtis Bay with George Hand at the Curtis Bay Athletic Club. Perry Hall had farming and fishing, neither of which appealed to him. The story is that while fishing with Fred Levinsky at Lassahn’s Pond, they decided Perry Hall needed football. He never touched a fishing rod again. The Perry Hall Recreation Council was born.

	Starting with a single football team, whose surviving members have been collecting social security for many years now, Perry Hall Recreation, under the leadership of Fred Levinsky and Jerry Soukup, grew to offer the community more than 30 different sports related programs. Many people were picking Perry Hall as a place to raise their family, and the organization grew exponentially.  It was the first recreation council in the state to raise the funds to have a lighted football field. 

	Undoubtedly, the success of the Perry Hall Recreation Council helped create a community where people grew up and never left.  We all benefitted. The investment created a sense of community difficult or impossible to duplicate. For my family, the years of my Mom and Dad’s participation in the recreation council culminated in the overwhelming honor of having a park and building being named after them. It was thanks to the efforts of those who never left, and some of our local politicians, who recog

I worked with Jerry for 10 years at Perry Hall Recreation Council.  He was always a friendly, encouraging man who deeply cared about his community.  Thank you Jerry for your leadership!  My prayers go out for your dear family.  You will be missed!!

My first memory of Mr. Jerry was in 1979 when I was in my first year of playing recreation football and he was one of the referees.   Over the  years growing up in Perry Hall I remember him as an umpire at baseball games and always at the sports banquets that we used to have! 

 As an adult I began coaching at the rec council with the wrestling program and got to know Mr Jerry as the Rec Council President and community leader / icon!       

As I’m now in my 22nd year coaching at Perry Hall and knowing what a commitment that is,  It’s even hard for me to imagine that Mr Jerry did this for 65 years!

Mr Jerry was Wonderful person  and inspiration to thousands!    And his legacy will last generations!

I’ve know the Soukup’s since I moved to Perry Hall in the 4th grade! Mr. Jerry would referee my little league baseball, football, and basketball games. I knew the entire family and they were always very welcoming and fun to be around! My thoughts and prayers are with Jerry, Tom, and Mike!

OBITUARY

Gerald Charles Soukup

13 March, 1928 – 3 February, 2020

Schimunek Funeral Home

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