Leonard 'Lenny' A. Perry Jr., 58
On Friday, Jan. 10, 2020, Leonard “Lenny” A. Perry Jr., loving husband and father of three children, passed away at his home and started his eternal journey.
Lenny was born on May 21, 1961, in Ogden, Utah, and was 58 years old.
He was preceded in death by his father and sister Robin.
His family soon moved to Butte, and Montana became home to Lenny. He graduated from Butte High School in 1980, and later that year joined the United States Air Force, at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Great Falls. Over his 12-year career he served as a heavy equipment specialist and a strategic aircraft maintenance technician. He also served in support of Operation Desert Storm, as part of the 8th Civil Engineering Squadron. He was relocated, as part of his years of service, living in Louisiana, at Barksdale Air Force Base, in California, at Castle Air Force Base, and one year of service in South Korea. He was honorably discharged E-5 SSGT, upon which time he moved his family back to Kalispell.
He met the love of his life, Cathy, while at Malmstrom AFB, and they were married in an intimate ceremony on Aug. 25, 1981, in Great Falls, surrounded by family and friends. They shared 38 beautiful years together raising three daughters Tessa Perry, Hillary Counts and Stephanie Pelizzari.
Lenny’s nature was to serve others, with a career serving our country, and serving anyone in need in his private time. He was not one to pass by a person needing a push-start, a pull out of a ditch, or their car jumped. He once saved a dog from drowning in a frozen pond, and helped a woman being assaulted on the side of the road, taking her to safety.
In the early years, he spent time in his shop with friends, rebuilding snowmobiles for another weekend of climbing the Rockies. He later rode his Harley with his wife and friends, even making a trip to Sturgis.
He enjoyed boating and spent time fishing on Flathead Lake with his wife, daughters and grandchildren. When they weren’t boating, they were camping at Lost Johnny with lifelong friends where he enjoyed everyone around the campfire.
Lenny was also an avid “rodder.” He enjoyed classic cars and owned a few over the years. On Sundays Lenny would call bingo at the Eagles with his wife and many friends he made there.
His patience was long, his kindness was vast, and his unconditional love was never-ending.
Along with his three daughters, he is survived by his three grandchildren, Hallee Counts, Sean Norris and Joseph Pelizzari and his son-in-law, John Pelizzari, along with the many, many friends he made along the way; and lastly his loving dogs, Pepper and Sugar. Over his 27 years in the Flathead Valley Lenny worked for Lee’s Distributing owned by Chuck Lee, Bolsters Towing owned by Dennis and Margo Frownfelter, the Plum Creek Evergreen Plywood Plant, as well as Spoklie’s Gravel Pit and LHC Construction helping to build the bypass highway in Kalispell. Lenny also attended Flathead Community College where he received an Associate in Applied Sciences degree and worked shortly for Falkor Defense.
We will miss his childish giggle, his sparkling blue eyes and his calming ways.
There will be a celebration of Lenny’s life late this summer. There will be an event notification in the paper and a Facebook message sent out.
In lieu of flowers, please send money or drop off food items to the Veterans Food Bank and Thrift Store.