Ricardo Sam Perri
Ricardo Sam Perri, 62, was a Vietnam veteran who was always on the move.
He loved softball, fishing and anything outdoors, but above all, he loved his family. Mr. Perri especially enjoyed spending time with his two granddaughters. He was willing to lend a helping hand at any time, and his family says he would be proud to know he helped others by being an organ donor.
Mr. Perri, known as Rick, died Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011.
He was born Nov. 23, 1948, in Pittsburgh to Victor Paul and Hilde (Kist) Perri.
Mr. Perri served in the Army during the Vietnam War, and in Vietnam he met his wife, Muoi Tran. He took another tour of duty to complete the necessary paperwork so he could bring his wife home. They married in a small ceremony in Vietnam in 1970 and later moved to the United States to start their life in Columbia. They had two children, Tony and Tina, who both attended Hickman High School. Tina also attended MU.
Mr. Perri worked for 3M for around a year until Truman Veterans Hospital opened in Columbia, and he worked there for 26 years. He was chief supervisor of food services, which is responsible for providing food to the patients.
One of his favorite pastimes was fishing, and it was an activity that his son enjoyed doing with him.
“Usually it’d be me and him, and when my sister was younger, she would go a lot, but as we got older it was more so he and I,” Tony Perri said.
Mr. Perri’s sister, Maria Hines, said that he was the most generous person anyone could have ever met and that his generosity did not come from physical things.
“He gave of himself. He shared all the good things about him with anyone who crossed his path,” Hines said. “Really, I don’t know how anyone who knew him couldn’t have become a slightly better person because of him.”
“He’ll definitely never be forgotten,” Tony Perri said.
Mr. Perri is survived by his wife, Muoi Tran Perri of Columbia; son, Tony Perri of Columbia; daughter, Tina Giltrap and her husband, Dylan, of Columbia; two sisters, Ginger Shern and her husband, Kyle, of Columbia and Maria Hines and her husband, Skip, of Ashland; and two grandchildren, Natalie and Alexis Giltrap.
His parents died earlier.
Services will be held at 1 p.m., Saturday. at Parker Funeral Service, 22 N. Tenth St. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association or any veterans service organizations. Online condolences may be left at parkerfuneralservice.com.
