Perry L. Estal

Perry was raised and reared in Iowa. In 1960 he joined the United States Air Force and served as a B-52 aircraft mechanic. In 1965 Perry moved to Greeley. He was a past member of Gloria Christi Lutheran Church. Perry married Virginia Wake Printz in September of 1985.

Perry wasn’t a punctual man, but that trait held no bearing on his hard work. He was gruff on the outside but a teddy bear on the inside; he had a heart of gold. Perry was very trusting and also very trustworthy. He never held a grudge. Perry was “old school”, a handshake often sealed the deal.

Cars were Perry’s passion since his early childhood. He owned and operated Perry’s Auto Repair in Greeley since February of 1978. His restorative work was not flashy, but rather economical. It was how the car ran, not how it looked. His family recalls times when Perry would finish restoration on one of his vehicles, and instead of driving it around town for a test drive; they would load up and take a thousand mile trip. Perry enjoyed teaching his mechanic trade, always wanting to give those in times of struggles a second chance.

Perry was an avid car show attendant, having attended hundreds of car shows throughout his seventy years of life. He was a member of Good Times Car Club of Greeley, Igniters Car Club of Greeley, the National Street Rod Association, the Minnesota Street Rod Association and the National Good Guys Car Club.

Perry is survived by his wife, Virginia Estal of Greeley; three children, Jeannette Slinker (Earl) of Grundy Center, Iowa, James “Jim” Estal (Lori) of Greeley and Tony Estal (Debbie) of Greeley; two step-children, Jennifer Printz and Erika Printz of Greeley; sister, Sondra Jaynes (Steve) of Portland, Oregon; aunt, Lois Cheney of Norris Springs, Iowa; numerous nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his parents; son, Paul Estal; brother, Danny Estal.

Friends may greet the family 5-8 p.m. Friday at Stoddard Funeral Home. Funeral service 10 a.m. Saturday at Trinity Lutheran Church. Interment Eaton Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Northern Colorado in care of Stoddard Funeral Home, 3205 W. 28th Street, Greeley, CO 80634.