Perry Paul Perez

December 3rd, 1955 – October 27th, 2026

Perry was the hardest working man anyone who knew him had ever known. He was a master of drywall, able to calculate measurements in his head effortlessly, cutting drywall boards with absolute precision and hanging them from sometimes dangerous heights. In most houses, walls are sort of taken for granted. The people who hang sheetrock really don’t get as much respect as they deserve. We forget that somebody had to put the walls we see around us up, and that someone was my father.

If you have ever driven through Lakewood, there’s a good chance that at least 80% of the houses you see were sheetrocked by him. Blood, sweat, and tears went into his work. Often working well after dark when everyone else had gone home just to finish the job. He was a mentor to others, some who went on to run their own successful businesses. He was as tough as the nails that he used to build hundreds upon hundreds, if not thousands, of houses in his lifetime.

Born and raised in one of the toughest cities in the world, The Bronx, New York, his father decided to move his family to a quieter and more suburban lifestyle in Jackson, New Jersey. They took the boy out of the Bronx, but they couldn’t take the Bronx out of the boy. My father was as wild as the streets he grew up in, which got him into some trouble in his new environment.

From surfing on top of moving vans and cracking his skull open, to stealing a guitar from off the stage before an Electric Light Orchestra concert, which made the news, and no one ever found out he was the one that did it, well except for now. He was a rebel. That was until he met my mother, fell in love and settled down.

Perry always put the needs of others before his own, with decades of self-sacrifice to put a roof over his children’s heads, clothes on their backs, and food on the table. He was a kind and gentle man with a heart of gold. He raised his children well. He never once raised his voice or his hand toward his children. He was the best father, and he was a best friend to his son and daughter.

He was the father of his son, Shawn, a US Army veteran, who spent many holidays away overseas, but no distance could lessen their love for one another. Years later they would fight side by side, one battle after another against cancer, overcoming every challenge they faced and every obstacle that came in their way. Never once did the thought of giving up cross their minds, and he fought bravely to his last day.

Perry loved music, and he passed his love of music down to his children. His favorite bands were The Beatles, Queen, and Squeeze. His love of family and music came full circle when his daughter, Kristina, landed a gig working as a web designer for a son of one of The Beatles, Sean Ono Lennon.

His daughter also faced her share of hardships during her lifetime. At the age of 13, her kidneys failed, and her life changed overnight. The years that followed involved her going on and off dialysis, having two successful transplants that, unfortunately, her body rejected over time. The love he shared for his daughter was infinite, and everything she had been through only brought them closer together.

Perry loved sports. He used to tell stories about growing up in the Bronx near Yankee Stadium. He used to sneak into the stadium and try to get the players’ autographs. His favorite sports teams were the New York Mets for baseball, the New York Giants for football, the New York Knicks for basketball, and the New York Rangers for hockey. A true New Yorker at heart, through and through.

Perry was predeceased by his dear mother, Carmen Marrero, and his loving daughter, Kristina Perez. He is survived by his son, Shawn Perez; his brother, Gus Perez; his sister, Jackie Frasca; his 17-year-old pet Shih Tzu, Humphrey; and his ex-wife, Sandra Whitt. He was loved by his friends and all who ever had the chance to know and work with him.

DeGraff Funeral Home of Lakehurst, NJ is handling the arrangements.

There will not be a viewing or a funeral. The family is planning a Celebration of Life Memorial BBQ for the summer of next year.