William Pryor Perry was a native of Warsaw, Kentucky, the son of William Pryor and Martha Belle Gayle Perry, both from pioneer Kentucky families. He was educated at the Virginia Episcopal School and the University of Virginia, class of 1950. Following three years of service in the US Army during the Korean Conflict, he resumed his career in the employee benefits field. This included service with Pacific Mutual Life, Johnson & Higgins, his own firm, and concluded with the local firm Tillinghast Inc. now a part of Willis Towers Watson. He was a charter member of the Southern Pension Conference and president of the Louisiana Group Underwriters.
Bill was the consummate Virginia gentleman in his dress and manners. He maintained longstanding friendships and was a devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. He will be remembered as a voracious reader, an accomplished woodworking craftsman, his love of an evening bourbon whiskey or gin martini and a good cigar, his two cats, Sam and Samantha, his love of family history and history in general and his love of golf. Bill was a long time member of Cherokee Town and Country Club where he played golf with the Big Table for many years and with the Elders at the Lookout Mountain Golf Club where he and his wife Nancy have a cottage. He was a member of Christ Church of Atlanta.
He is survived by his wife, the former Nancy Armstrong, and his two children, Cathy Maddux and husband Tom, Robert Perry and wife Cheryl, and his daughter-in-law, Lee Perry. He was the proud grandfather of Lynn Sanchez, Alex Rhodes, Carey Holbrook, Andy and Tom Maddux, and Will Perry and his great grans Teagan and Henier Maddux, Roma Sanchez, and Kyle and Holly Holbrook. He was preceded in death by his son Jim Perry and his brother Roderick Perry. A celebration of life will be held at H.M. Patterson and Son, Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Rd., NE, Sandy Springs, GA 30328 on November 6, 2019 at 2:00 p.m. with a reception following the service. In lieu of flowers contributions may be made to the building fund a Christ Church of Atlanta, PO Box 76320, Atlanta, GA 30358. Our grateful thanks to the wonderful friends at Delmar Gardens and The Social at Vinings for their compassionate care and support of the Perrys during Bill’s declining health.
