Dr. James Earl Perry

Published 10:57 am Friday, July 27, 2018

Dr. James Earl Perry

Dr. James Earl Perry, 79, of Attapulgus, Ga., passed away Wednesday, July 25th, 2018.  He was at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, Ga. and passed away due to complications during surgery.

The graveside service will be held at 2 p. m. on August 5, 2018, at Johnson Family Cemetery on Kemp Road near Attapulgus, Ga. with Pastor Jerry Harrell officiating.  Serving as active pallbearers will be Dan Bryant, Eddie Irving, Randy Irving, Lawrence Irick, Chris Goff and Ricky Spooner.

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The family will receive friends from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, August 4, 2018, at Ivey Funeral Home.  Online visitors may sign the guest register at www.iveyfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Florida State University Foundation, P. O. Box 3062739, Tallahassee, FL 32306.

Dr. Perry was born on August 7, 1938, in Decatur County, Ga., he was the son of Woodrow W. Perry and Hazel Johnson Perry.  He spent his childhood in Quincy, Gadsden County, FL and was Valedictorian of his Quincy High School graduating class of 1956.

After graduating high school, Dr. Perry went on to pursue his Mathematics future and obtained a BA & MS from Florida State University and also MS & PhD in mathematics from Auburn University.  After obtaining his degrees, his teaching career started at Cairo High School, where he taught mathematics and science courses for three years.  He taught mathematics at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton for another three years. He also taught mathematics at Auburn University for another three years. The last 21 years of his professional career he spent them as a math professor at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, GA.  He also served one year as a twice-weekly volunteer mathematics instructor in the GED program for Georgia inmates at the Carroll County Correctional Institution.   He also served on quite a few committees and did quite a bit of volunteer work in mathematics through the years of teaching and beyond.

Following his retirement from West Georgia, he authored a college textbook in mathematics and during his time at Auburn University he co-authored a college mathematics textbook.  For five years he developed the exams and served as coordinator for the annual Carroll County Secondary Schools Mathematics Tournament.  He founded and for nine years served as editorial board chairman for The Georgia Mathematics Newsletter.

To commend him for his services at the University of West Georgia and in the Carrolton area, shortly after his retirement from West Georgia the Board of Regents of University System of Georgia awarded him with title of Emeritus Professor of Mathematics at the University of West Georgia.  This is a lifetime honor, which entitled him to all privileges granted to active mathematics professors at the University of West Georgia.  Last but not least, he served as county commissioner for District 1 for ten years until he had to give it up due to health reasons.  During his time serving, he always talked about how many people he came in contact with, made friends with and still communicated with over the years, thank you all.

 

Dr. Perry was preceded in death by his parents.  Survivors include his sons, Jim Perry and his wife, Leann, of Hoover, Ala. and Dan Perry (Marcy Icaza), of Temple, Ga.; his sister, Dolores Perry Hawkins and husband, Billy, of Attapulgus, Ga.; his grandchildren, Avery Perry, Carson Perry and Ryan Perry all of Hoover; his niece, Gargaria Hawkins Spooner of Attapulgus; and his great niece, Zoie Spooner of Attapulgus.