Perry Steven Main, devoted husband and beloved father, died on Nov. 29, 2019. Perry was born Sept. 11, 1943, in Clinton, Oklahoma, to Percy Sewell Main and Beriece Doler Main. A lover of airplanes from an early age, Perry learned to fly in college and spent many days with his older brother, Ron, flying across Oklahoma and scaring his mother to death. That love of flight led him to join the Air Force ROTC as an undergrad and eventually to a 12-year career in the U.S. Air Force.
While in the Air Force, he met his wife of 49 years, Annette England. Stephanie, the first of their two daughters, was born while both were stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, and the second, Emily, was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after both had left the service.
Perry had a successful career as a software engineer developing computer-based aviation training programs for Control Data in Minneapolis, which led to a move to Memphis in 1983. They lived there ever since. He finished his career working on training programs for Youth Villages and retired in 2013.
During the nearly 40 years Perry lived in Memphis, he tolerated his daughters’ many and varied interests, whether photography or figure skating, and endured a combined 22 years of piano and violin practice, for which he became canonized as the first Presbyterian saint. He was an active member of Farmington Presbyterian Church, where he served as an Elder, a Sunday school teacher and sometime youth leader.
Perry is survived by his wife, Annette; his daughters Stephanie Key (Taylor Key) and Emily Main Randall (Brenden Randall); and granddaughter Harper Caroline Key. In lieu of flowers, please donate to Perry’s beloved church, Farmington Presbyterian (farmingtonpres.org).
Online condolences can be left for the Main family at www.memphisfuneralhomepoplar.com
