Richard L. Perry

Richard “Rich” L. Perry, 70, passed away on Monday, January 17, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas after living as a paraplegic for over 52 years. He was a loving father and brother, dedicated follower of Christ, accomplished wheelchair basketball athlete, and retired Air Force Civil Servant.

Born in August 1951 in Los Angeles, California, Richard was the son of Robert and Betty Perry. Raised in the San Gabriel Valley with his sister Cathy, he graduated from Los Altos High School before attending Mt. San Antonio College. He was pursuing an education in forestry when on December 12, 1969, he sustained a life-changing spinal cord injury while planting trees in the San Gabriel mountains with his forestry class. After an eight-month hospitalization, Richard not only adapted to life in a wheelchair, but thrived, due to his strong Christian faith. He served as a youth pastor for Cogswell Wesleyan Church and played on two National Wheelchair Basketball Association teams: the Whittier Wings starting in 1976 and the Rolling Bears in the late 1980s. He was nominated by then Governor Reagan to serve as a member on the California Healthcare Commission from 1973 to 1975.

Richard went on to receive his AA from Mt. San Antonio College and began his career as a draftsman for Bechtel Corporation in 1978. After the birth of his daughter, Stacie, and son, Trevor, he shifted his career and became a civil servant working in graphics and multimedia. First, as a part of the Air Force Regional Civil Engineer-Ballistic Missile Support office at Norton AFB in San Bernardino, California, and later moved to San Antonio, Texas to work as part of the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment (AFCEE). He was the man behind the design and development of the AFCEE shield, which has been its organizational symbol since 1994. In 2014, he retired from his position as the Chief of Visual Information for the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment after 30 years of service.

Richard regularly changed people’s minds about what life in a wheelchair could be. He drove his own car, led multiple church groups, could bowl a 200 plus game, deejayed his work parties, and as his friends and family would attest, told really corny jokes – all which allowed people to see beyond the metal frame that he sat in, to see the person he was instead. He once shared that while he wouldn’t have chosen to have his accident, he would never change his experience, because it allowed him to influence the lives of so many people in a positive way. That is the true magic that Richard possessed. The ability to be an advocate and inspiration for other people with disabilities, to surmount his physical limitations and to make a lasting impact on the people with whom he encountered.

Richard wrote, “I’ve learned personally through my life experiences that peace can be found in the midst of the storm when our hope is anchored in the faithfulness of God’s love and we learn what is meant by ‘God is in Control.’ We are not alone in this experience called life, and the sooner we open our hearts to receive the blessing of God’s awesome love and care, the better we can handle the experiences that life brings our way.”

Richard is survived by his children Stacie Llaurado Perry and Trevor Perry, his son-in-law Eduardo Llaurado, four grandchildren Lily, Judah, Nicolas, and Eli, his sister Cathy Arnold and brother-in-law Julian Mercado, extended family in various states, and his longtime friends Dennis and Robin Obert. There will be a celebration of life in San Antonio, Texas and a graveside service at Rose Hills in Whittier, California. For more information on attending either event, please contact the family. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to one of the Samaritan’s Purse International Relief funds https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/donate-online/