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| Frederick J. Perry https://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20453 |
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| Author: | transitman [ Wed Apr 19, 2006 11:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Frederick J. Perry |
The following is from a lengthy chat just had with Chris Perry, Fred's oldest son, regarding this week’s sad event, the loss of his father on Monday. Fred had spent Easter weekend in Huntsville, AL with Lyn (Evelyn) Curry, his sister. He drove back to Charlotte, NC where he was setting up as the consultant for the installation of the overhead trolley wire for their new light rail system now under construction. Monday morning he went to work but started to feel ill and drove to a local clinic. At the clinic they could not find any blood pressure so he was rushed to the Presbyterian Healthcare (hospital) in Charlotte. At the hospital they ran a CAT scan and other tests but could find little that was obviously wrong. He was coherent till about 5:00 P.M. and was discussing events with the Dr’s in attendance. At that time he slipped into a coma and he was revived twice during the evening but they lost him at 11:55 P.M. that night. He died of Septic Shock and the initial feeling is that he had a staff infection inside of his feet which spread and enveloped his whole system. The Dr’s told Chris that he was very calm when he was awake. Fred had a great many friends in the transit field across the United States, in Canada as well as England and Europe. He was active in the transit industry both as an employee and as a hobby. He also had many close friends who had nothing to do with transit whatsoever. Fred had been a mover and shaker at the Seashore Trolley Museum since 1955 and also was active at many other railway and trolley museums across the US. He was employed either directly by or as a contractor/consultant to the transit systems in St. Louis, MO, Memphis, TN, Houston, TX, Little Rock, AK, Tampa, FL, Kenosha, WI, the Keokuk Junction Railway in Keokuk, IA and the National Park Service trolley line in Lowell, MA. He volunteered at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, IL, The New York Museum of Transportation in Henrietta, NY, The Shelburne Falls Trolley Museum in Shelburne Falls, MA, The Midwest Old Threshers (trolley operation) in Mt. Pleasant, IA and the St. Louis County Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, MO as well as places I’ve probably forgotten about. His talents were considerable and wide-ranging. The family has tentatively decided to hold a Memorial Celebration of Fred’s life at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, ME on either the weekend prior to or the weekend just after Mother’s Day weekend. They would like to have a private family gathering and then open it up to his friends for a remembrance of who Fred was and what his life was about. When a final date is arrived at I shall send it out. As a memorial to Fred the family has asked that donations be made to the Seashore Trolley Museum expressly for the York Utilities Co. car Number 88 restoration fund. Car Number 88 which was built by the Wason Manufacturing Company of Springfield, MA and last ran in Sanford, ME, had long been one of Fred’s favorites. |
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| Author: | bobyar2001 [ Thu Apr 20, 2006 1:33 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Frederick J. Perry |
I had never heard of him before, but from the biography, it sounds like he was one of the few consultants to the light rail/heritage streetcar movement with a passion for his work, and one who actually knew what a trolley was before he started consulting - a significant loss.. |
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