Dennis "Denny" Perry

Dennis “Denny” Perry of Mattoon, IL, passed away on March 29, 2016 at 6:10 pm in Evansville, IN, at Charlier Hospice after a four year battle with Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (CJD). He was born on September 27, 1947 in Mattoon, IL, to Thurl and Tracy (Vadakin) Perry.

Denny graduated from Mattoon High School in 1965 and married Linda Bahney on September 17, 1967, at First Christian Church in Mattoon. Denny obtained his truck driving license after he and Linda married and drove for over 30 years. He ultimately retired from ABF Trucking in 2006 as a member of the Teamsters Union after accumulating more than 3 million miles during his career. He worked a few more years for Atlas Lift Truck Rentals & Sales, Inc. before his official retirement from the working world in 2009. Denny was a member of Broadway Christian Church in Mattoon. He loved reading his Bible, playing cards, walking, and traveling. In retirement, he enjoyed long winter trips to Florida with his beloved wife before becoming ill in 2012. He was a dear friend to many and continued to bless those around him even throughout his illness. Denny doted on his grandchildren and loved attending their sporting events. His love for baseball as a youth led to several years of coaching & mentoring numerous Babe Ruth baseball players in the Mattoon area. The love for the game eventually led to a period of time in which he became his grandchildren’s biggest sideline coach and fan. He was also an avid Cubs fan, who enjoyed attending Cub games as well as watching his favorite team on television. Above all else, he loved the Lord and was a faithful servant until God called him Home.

Denny will be greatly missed by his loving wife of 48 years, Linda; his parents, Thurl and Tracy Perry; his son, Raif, (Tracey) Perry of Mattoon, IL; daughter, Dawn (Mark) Rogers of Evansville, IN; grandchildren, Jacob, Sam and Hallee Perry of Mattoon, IL and Hannah, Spencer, and Owen Rogers of Evansville, IN; brothers, Robb (Linda) and Jim (JoAnna), both from Mattoon; 17 nephews; and 6 nieces.

Visitation and a Celebration of Life will be held Monday, April 4, 2016, at Schillings Funeral Home in Mattoon, IL from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Funeral services, officiated by Denny’s brother-in-law, Lee Bahney, will be held 10:00 AM Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at the funeral home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Denny’s honor to the following organizations: National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center (NPDPSC), Case Western Reserve University, 208 Adelbert Road, Room 419, Cleveland, OH, 44106-4907; or to Deaconess VNA Plus Charlier Hospice, PO Box 3487, Evansville, IN 47734-3487. Condolences may be made online at www.AlexanderWestChapel.com.